A Place for Raven
by Estrella Nuvola
Summary: This story is about Raven from Teen Titans, but is in the world of Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children. Some things are changed up a bit. Story summary in first chapter. There's also a char I created. Rated M for descriptive rape later and language.
1. Chapter 1: Determination

_Yay! My second fanfic! And, yeah, I know I haven't finished my other one, for those who know of it. guilty blush I'm working on both, I promise. If you _haven't_ read my other fanfic, it's a Sailor Moon one titled _For the Love of Earth_. But yeah, this isn't about that, is it? wink I'll post a summary below for this story, as well as ages. No pairing list this time. Still not sure how that's going to go. Anyway, as usual, I own nothing. Nada. Especially none of the _Final Fantasy VII Advent Children _characters and the _Teen Titans_ character Raven. Though I changed her background a bit to fit the story. Still don't own her, even though she is awesome. I own nothing but the clothes on my back and the flash-drive this is saved on. That's right I don't even own this laptop. ;) Ha ha, Okies, on to the summary/ages/story. Enjoy! (Though I'm creating my own character, Aelita, who is completely my own. Well, I did see the name on tv somewhere…not sure where though. If you know of some show that has a girl named Aelita, let me know so I credit it. :P)_

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**Setting/Summary**

Setting This story takes place in/around Edge, Midgar and the Forgotten City. This is different than the movie or anything, I have to change it to fit what will happen. Raven has lived in Midgar all her life, and now lives outside Edge. What happened in the game did occur, but something happened to make the people forget about Sephiroth, so nobody really knows who brought on the destruction of so many people. Hope that makes sense. : P

Summary A confused Raven leaves behind the people she loves to find a place in the world. Life is difficult for her because of her strange powers, which she tries to hide from everyone. She meets the silver-haired brothers and forms a strange relationship with them…

**Characters/Ages**

Aelita-17

Cloud-23

Kadaj-21

Loz-26

Raven-19

Reno-25

Tifa-21

Vincent-26

Yazoo-24

Yuffie-22

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**Chapter One**

**Determination**

Raven sighed happily as she walked out of the city. She enjoyed working day-shift at the small restaurant; it gave her the opportunity, and security, to walk home instead of riding. She loved watching the sun set, which it would long before she got back to the two-story house she shared with Tifa, and sometimes her boyfriend of two and a half years. As she walked down the dirt road, Raven pulled out her black cell-phone and flipped it open, reading the text-message from Reno,

_Hey babe, I'm going to be a bit late tonight. You can start dinner without me. Love ya! _She smiled sadly as she snapped her phone shut and slipped it back into her side-strap bag. 'At least I'll have Tifa for company.' She thought, stopping beneath a large tree to watch the sun as it slowly sank beneath the horizon. Five minutes later her phone rang. It was Tifa.

"Hello, luscious!" she greeted, continuing on her way home.

"_Ha ha, how was work?"_

"Not too bad. I'm glad I have the night off…though Reno can't make it for dinner." Raven made a face at this thought.

"_Aw…that sucks…"_

"Yeah, so I guess it'll just be the two of us…unless Cloud's coming over?"

"_Um…that's why I'm calling."_ Raven faltered,

"H-huh?"

"_We have a load of work to do…research, ya know?" _

"Yeah…" Raven sighed. That was the bad thing about her friends and boyfriend working for the same people; if one had to work overtime, they usually all did. She had just hoped that someone would be able to join her for dinner, "I understand."

"_Good. I'm really sorry…if you're lonely, try calling Yuffie. I think she may be in town."_

"Mm. I might do that. Thanks Tifa. Have…fun?" Raven asked. She heard Tifa laugh,

"_I'll try…though this isn't something I'd choose to do for entertainment. Later, girlie."_

"Bye. Tell everyone I said 'Hi'."

"_Will do." _click

Raven scowled as she shoved her phone back into her bag. It was already dark and getting cooler since it was approaching winter. She could see her house in the distance, causing her to pick up the pace. 'I guess I'll call Yuffie and see what she's up to…' she thought, once again retrieving her phone. She dialed her friend's number and glanced again at her house. Someone was on the roof. However, instead of being frightened, Raven grinned and snapped her phone closed, changing her mind.

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The silver haired man in leather frowned as he scanned the city from the roof of a tall building. He crossed his arms and scowled. Where _was_ she?

"Brother…?" came a voice from behind him.

"What is it, Yazoo?" he answered as another silver haired man stepped up beside him, also clad in leather. Yazoo's hair reached down to mid-back. He was thin and frail-looking, almost feminine, though anyone who knew him would never call him feminine.

"The-the power. I can _feel_ it. It's making me…antsy." He replied in a low, honey-sweet voice.

"I know." The other man answered. He was a bit shorter than Yazoo, with hair that reached his shoulders, but was the same color. He could almost pass as Yazoo's twin, though it was apparent that he was a few years younger. He wore a skin-tight, black leather outfit with a black leather coat that split in the back and was tied at his knees, almost looking like he wore flared pants.

"So are we just going to stand here Kadaj, or what?" another man demanded, walking up on the other side of the younger man, "I want to find this power-whore."

"Shut up, Loz." Kadaj hissed, glancing at his eldest brother. He was tall with short, spiked silver hair. Two thin sideburns ran down the length of his jaw. He wore a leather outfit identical to his brothers but didn't have a long coat like the other two, just one that stopped a bit passed his waist. Kadaj looked back over the city, "We'll find her. And when we do, we'll find a way to convince her to join us. She will be most…useful…in our plans."

"Kadaj…" Yazoo started, tilting his head slightly, "How do you know it's a woman?"

"I can just tell…and boy is she strong…I wonder if she knows it…" Kadaj responded, trailing off as he fixed his gaze to the outskirts of the bleak city as he smiled evilly.

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Raven slipped out her bedroom window on the second story and crawled up onto the roof to meet her visitor. She grinned as she saw him leaning against the chimney, the golden metal of his left arm and both feet glinting in the moonlight.

"Hello Vincent." She greeted, edging closer, "It's been a while."

He nodded, stiffening a bit as she sat next to him, then relaxed. He took in her appearance; long purple hair pulled back in a loose braid, long-sleeved black shirt and tight black pants over black shoes. Her violet eyes sparkled with a mixture of admiration, fear, warning, and something else he couldn't quite figure out,

"You shouldn't be with me…alone." He said in his husky voice.

"Why not?" she demanded, reaching out to brush a lock of black hair behind his ear. He fought the urge flinch, at the same time reveling in the feeling of her fingers brushing his cheek. His eyes narrowed,

"Because of who we are." He knew he should pull back or leave, but he couldn't. "Anyway, I need to talk to Reno. When will he be getting here?"

"Not till a bit later. If you'd get a phone you'd know that." Raven said, pouting at him, "Why are you being so hostile, Vincent? I've known you for _years_. We've been fine this whole time. You know as well as I do that we have control over our…nature."

"Raven…" he whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek, only to let his hand fall, "I see the internal struggle in your eyes…part of you hates me. Just as part of me hates you."

"I know!" she hissed, closing her eyes, "But that's just…part of me. The other part--"

"No." Vincent cut her off sharply, "Don't say that."

"I can't help it!" Raven snapped. They both sighed. "Vincent…"

He turned to look at her. He almost fell into those beautiful violet eyes of hers. How he loved them…and hated them at the same time. He could see she was trying to cover up her disdain for him. As she leaned in closer, he understood what the other spark in her eye was; lust. Suddenly, Vincent knew what she was going to do. He knew he should stop her, but didn't. Instead, he leaned in to meet her kiss.

The tension was almost tangible as they kissed, both testing the other's resilience. Both knew one wrong move could trigger a series of events that would leave one of them dead. Eventually, Raven broke the light kiss and smiled at him warmly,

"See, that wasn't so hard." Her voice was low. Vincent closed his eyes as he struggled to keep his emotions in check,

"Raven…we can't." he whispered, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back against the cool, brick chimney.

"Can't what?" she asked, watching him closely.

"Can't…be together." He answered with a strained voice.

"But…why?!" she asked, frustrated.

"Well, first off, because of who you are and what I am; we are supposed to hate each other." He said glancing at her from his reclined, yet tense, position, "And second, you love Reno. You've been with him for years."

"It doesn't matter!" she cried, throwing her hands up and tugging on her braid angrily. "I _don't_ hate you Vincent! Yeah, there's a part of me that wants to…hurt you, but I over power that. I do love Reno, but I love you more, and have for a long time! Longer than Reno! That's why…that's why I never killed you. And I know you love me or I'd be dead already, because if you attacked me I couldn't, _wouldn't_ fight back. I don't know how I can be in love with two men at the same time, so don't ask me. I just know what I feel."

For a long time the two were silent. Vincent sighed and sat up straight, looking down at her curiously,

"How strange it is for you to go against your nature as a vampire-slayer. It must be very difficult."

"It is. Or was…at first I mean." She said quietly, staring at her limp hands in her lap. "As soon as I saw you I hated you and wanted you dead…but whenever we were together there were…others…and I couldn't risk giving away who I am. If I had attacked you, I would have been labeled a freak and murderer. And who knew that I'd…fall in love with my natural enemy?" She laughed, almost bitterly.

"Raven…" Vincent sighed, shaking his head, "you have to let me go."

"Okay." She said, setting her jaw. He smiled sadly and opened his mouth to reply but was cut off, "I will let you go, forget I love you…but only if you do the same for me."

"Raven…" he groaned, rubbing his eyes with his right hand, "You know me too well…"

She nodded before leaning towards him again. His eyes were once again closed so when her lips met his he was shocked, but pleased. This time the kiss was a bit more intimate. Raven wormed her way into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand going into his hair. She fought the urge to attack and suppressed the power bubbling up in her chest. She felt him hesitantly wrap his arms around her waist, careful not to hurt her with his metal arm, as he kissed her back. A while later she broke the kiss and leaned closer to whisper in his ear,

"I know the ultimate test…to prove that we can fight it." Almost immediately she felt him stiffen,

"Raven. No. I won't do that." He said sternly, voice no louder than a whisper. She leaned closer,

"Vincent. It will be okay. And don't say that you don't want you…I remember the first time we were alone…you said I smelled delicious." Raven's lips brushed against his ear. He didn't respond. For a few moments they sat, still as stone. She waited, and smiled as she felt him move a bit. His lips brushed against her bare neck, causing her to shiver. He froze, wondering whether it was a shiver of disgust, pleasure, fear, or a mix of the three.

"Raven…" he whispered against her neck. Another shiver ran down her spine, this one definitely of pleasure,

"Just do it Vincent."

"This could end _very_ badly. What if I can't stop? Or what if you lose it and attack? I, like you, will not, can not, fight back." The entire time he spoke his lips caressed her neck with each word. It was setting her on edge,

"We'll be alright." She said through clenched teeth, part of her wanting push him away, so she pulled him closer and closed her eyes. She felt him nod before kissing her neck gently.

He really did want to…he knew how to make it pleasurable, as he had once told her. Vincent smiled as a small groan escaped Raven's throat as he nibbled gently on the soft flesh of her neck. He covered her pale throat in several more feather-light kisses before allowing his razor-sharp fangs to grow out. He took a deep breath and let it out; he had to keep total control during this. If he didn't, he'd probably drain her of all her blood. 'She smells _so damn good_.' He thought as he kissed her pulsing neck once more. Then, swiftly making up his mind, he tightened his grip on her waist and sank his fangs into her flesh.

Raven's eyes widened and she gasped as Vincent bit her. She closed her eyes again and moaned in pleasure, surprised at how good it felt. 'This feels…nnnh…' she thought, unable to come up with a coherent thought as she felt the vampire gently suck on her neck. Suddenly, she felt her power surge through her and she stiffened, fighting off the want to destroy him. She felt Vincent stop, just leaving his lips against the small 'wound' on her neck as she got control. Slowly, the urge ebbed away and she relaxed again. 'That was close…' she thought as he kissed her neck where he'd bitten her and drank a bit more. She felt Vincent's arms tighten around her for a second, then he kissed her neck again before sitting up and leaning his head against the brick with a contented sigh.

"Vincent…" Raven whispered, leaning her head against her shoulder and placing her hand against her neck, allowing a bit of her power to course through her.

"That was tough…" he responded.

"Was it?" she asked, voice tight as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Yes…you tasted…so good." He said roughly.

"Mm. But you stopped." She whispered. She felt him nod against her. They sat like that for a while, listening to each other's breathing. Raven was a little horrified at his lack of heart-beat. It was why she could never sense him, which fed her fear of him. Vincent laid his cheek on the top of her head,

"Raven--" He started, but shut up when she bolted upright,

"Someone's coming." She announced staring down the road into the dark.

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_Muahaha. Sooooo, what do you think so far??? Please review! Leave me some thoughts! I'm so excited about this one, I hope it turns out well. Thanks to all who enjoy and/or leave a review. Later gators!_

_Kitsune_


	2. Chapter 2: Decisions

**Chapter Two**

**Decisions **

Raven heard the front door slam shut as Vincent helped her in through her window. She shooed him out before turning back to silently close their secret doorway. She hurried downstairs and into the front hall where Tifa stood hanging up her coat.

"Hey Tifa!" The purple haired beauty called rushing over to her dark haired friend. Tifa was wearing her usual attire of a sleeveless leather vest over a white tank-top and leather capris covered in a half-skirt. Her combat-style boots were old and worn.

"Hm?" Tifa glanced up, looking tired, "Oh, hi. I take it Yuffie's not here?"

"No…but Vincent is." Raven said with a smile, then added, "It was a surprise visit."

"Awesome! I haven't seen him in forever!" Tifa grinned and walked past the younger girl. They both walked into the living room where Vincent sat drinking water from a glass, all appearances saying that he'd been sitting there forever. Tifa hurried forward to give her old friend a hug,

"Hey! It's been a while, how are you?"

"Excellent." Was his gruff response.

"Oh!" Tifa exclaimed, turning back to Raven who stood somewhat awkwardly in the doorway, "I hope you don't mind, but Cloud will be joining us too. He and Reno will be here in a few minutes."

"Why would I mind?" Raven replied with a soft smile. "I'm going to go make some…coffee. You two going to want some?"

"Sure, thanks sexy." Tifa replied, winking. Raven rolled her eyes and then frowned at the glimmer of mischief in Vincent's eyes.

"No thank you." He said slowly, smiling ever so slightly, "I'm not thirsty…in fact I'm quite full."

Raven bit back a smile and suppressed a laugh as she turned and went into the kitchen as the two old friends caught up. She stumbled a bit and had to lean on the table to wait for her vision to stop swimming. 'I guess Vincent affected me a bit more than I realized.' She thought, filling the brewer with water, 'Next time I probably shouldn't let him drink so much'. She grimaced,

"If there's a next time…" she muttered to herself, watching the black liquid dribble into the pot.

"Next time for what?"

"Reno!" Raven exclaimed, whirling around only to stumble again. Her red-headed beau darted forward to catch her,

"Are you okay, smexy?" his voice was full of concern as he held her against his chest. Raven sighed and slipped her hands under his jacked to wrap her arms around his well-muscled waist in a hug,

"Mmhm." She said, weakly, closing her eyes and inhaling his scent. "I just haven't been sleeping well…nightmares."

"Ah. They're still waking you up?" Reno murmured into her hair. She nodded and then pulled away as the coffee brewer dinged. He frowned, watching her get out some coffee cups and a tray, "Have you tried taking anything?"

"No."

"Well, you should. Tonight."

"Thank you, _Daddy_." Raven scowled, then froze where she was in mid-step, the tray of full coffee mugs in her hands.

"Raven…?" Reno whispered cautiously.

Raven closed her eyes and began to shake. Reno took another cautious step towards her. He was a few feet away from her when her eyes flew open and she gasped, dropping the tray with a crash, ceramic mug pieces and hot coffee flying everywhere.

"NO!" she cried out and then collapsed. Reno caught her before her head could hit the floor.

"Hey!" Tifa called as she, Cloud and Vincent ran into the kitchen, "What—OH!" She hurried forward to kneel at Reno's side.

"What happened?" Cloud asked?

"I don't know." Reno answered as he cradled the violet haired woman to his chest, "She just…froze. Then gasped and collapsed."

"Take her upstairs." Tifa commanded, helping Reno to his feet, "She hasn't been sleeping well so maybe that's why she fainted."

"Alright." The red-head said, "Do you mind if I stay here? I don't want to leave her alone."

"I think she would like that." Tifa answered with a nod as she began to pick up the pieces. Cloud and Vincent joined her. Reno nodded and went upstairs with the flustered Raven held close to his chest.

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Raven chocked back a sob as she jerked upright in bed, covered in sweat. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, calming herself and her breathing,

"It was just a dream…it was just a dream…" she whispered to herself, almost inaudibly. Reno grunted in his sleep next to her and flipped over so his back was to her. She gazed down at him, smiling at the way his long red hair had come out of its pony-tail and spread out behind him on the bed. She reached forward and gently moved a piece of hair off his face to look at the small tattoo on his cheek. She smiled, almost sadly, before kissing the tattoo lightly and slipping out of bed, grimacing at the clock that read 3:42 am.

Ten minutes later Raven breathed in the hot steam of her much needed shower. She scrubbed her body and face and squirted a large amount of shampoo onto her head before massaging her scalp thoroughly. She tried in vain to wash away the nightmare that plagued her every night; the same vision that had struck her the night before. The fact that it had come while she was awake was very bad. She had to do something soon if this vision was to be stopped. Raven closed and whimpered as the vision that was now burned in her memory replayed itself in her mind.

_A tall man stands on the edge of a cliff on the outskirts of the city, watching Edge and Midgar burn. Screams and moans rise into the air from the city. The view changes and swivels around to show Raven standing a few feet behind and to the right of the man. He turns around and walks back to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looks up into his grey-blue mako eyes, her own violet ones brimming over with tears. She turns away from his piercing gaze but he grabs her chin, forcing her to look at him as he leans down so all she can look at is his eyes. His long, silver hair that reaches almost to his knees falls forward over his shoulders and brushes against her cheeks and neck, causing her to shudder. A small smile plays across his lips,_

"_I'm proud of you, Raven." He whispers, leaning in even closer to brush his lips against hers before releasing her face roughly. She closes her eyes as tears fall freely, staining her pale cheeks. She clenches her fists at her sides, blue-green bands encircle each wrist and ankle. A single chain in the same color is wrapped around her forehead. Her long hair is unbound and blows gently around her. She is dressed in black leather shorts and a long sleeved leather top. Her feet are bare. She opens her violet eyes and glares at the man,_

"_I hate you." She whispers. He smiles._

"_Really? Why…?" he murmurs, tilting his head to the side, "You _should_ be hating yourself, seeing as _you _were the one to do all of this." He sweeps his hand out over the city. Raven shuts her eyes again, and falls to her knees sobbing,_

"_NOOOO!!"_

Raven gulped down another sob as the memory of the vision faded away. The first time she'd had the vision she had hoped it was a nightmare…but she now knew better. Unless something happened soon to change the course of the future, what was seen would come to pass. The bathroom door creaking open snapped her out of her haunted thoughts.

"Raven?" came Reno's hushed voice. She poked her head out from behind the curtain. Reno stepped in and closed the door. He wore what he'd slept in; loose black pants and socks, though Raven noticed that one of his socks had disappeared in the night, leaving one foot bare. His beautiful red hair fell around his shoulders and down his smooth chest.

"Are you alright?" he asked, walking forward a bit, then stopping.

"I don't know." She sighed, "I can't sleep."

"Ah…" he suddenly grinned suggestively, "How 'bout I join you in there, yeah?"

"Reno…" she said sadly, "…not right now, please. I'm not in a good mood. I'll be out really soon though."

She felt bad when he nodded, looking crushed. He turned and left her to finish up. Stepping back into the hot water once again, Raven wondered why she shouldn't just kill herself. She'd contemplated suicide many times over the past two months as her vision grew more and more vivid. However, something stopped her every time she went to do it, which confused her. Shrugging off the thought, she turned off the water and got out of the tub.

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Loz walked into the small restaurant, head lowered. Glancing at the sign saying _Please seat yourself and a server will be right with you!_, he walked to the corner and settled into the comfortable booth there. He leaned back and rested his arms on the table, lacing his fingers together. Surveying the restaurant he spotted his target. Her back was to him, giving him the view of a curvy figure and long purple hair in a French braid trailing down her back, ending at the middle of her rear. She wore a deep purple turtle neck under a black vest over tight black pants. He grinned as he studied her well-rounded bottom. Luckily for him though, just as she turned to approach his table, Loz flickered his eyes away from her and down to his folded hands.

"Hello, my name is Raven. I'll be your sever tonight." She greeted when she arrived at his table. He looked up into her violet eyes, noticing that her positive attitude was put one. She smiled, "What can I get you to drink? We have some excellent wine and beer on special."

"I prefer to keep my head clear." He replied, smiling back as his eyes automatically slipped down to her chest. 'Oops.' He thought as his gaze returned to her eyes and saw the anger there. 'I'll just…have some water, please." She nodded and turned away, heading back into the kitchen. When she came back he passed on an appetizer and ordered a cheeseburger.

Loz whipped out his silver cell-phone after she left and pushed speed-dial one. After it rang twice his brother picked up.

"_What is it, Loz?"_

"Don't sound so annoyed, baby brother." He said, stroking his side-burns thoughtfully. "You should be pleased with me…"

"_Loz, just spit it out. I'm in the middle of something. But, I swear, if this is about some hooker or new part for your bike I'm going to kill you."_

"Nice, Kadaj." Loz replied, laughing. "No, it's _much_ better than that." He heard Kadaj sigh angrily. Messing with his youngest brother always made the short-haired man giddy.

"_Loz, I'm hanging up in three seconds."_

"I found her."

"…"

"Um…hellooooo? Did you hear me?"

"_I heard. I'm just surprised. And a little impressed. Where are you?"_

"That little restaurant near the eastern side of Edge…what's it called?" Loz snapped his fingers several times as he thought.

"…_I'm waiting."_

"Oh, hush. I'm thinking." He snapped. "It's _The Angel's Wings_. She works here. Her name is Raven. Happy?"

"…_Yes. Good job, Loz."_

"I wish you could feel her, brother." Loz murmured into the phone, "She's incredibly powerful. It's…making me giddy and jumpy."

"_Hm. That's good. Now we just have to figure out a way to get her to come with us, and then convince her to join with us. How quickly can you be home?"_

Loz tapped his chin thoughtfully before answering, "Ten minutes."

"_Good. I'll see you then." _There was a beep as Kadaj hung up. Loz smiled as he shoved his cell-phone back into his pocked. He stood up, slapped enough money on the table to cover the burger and a hefty tip, and walked out the door.

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A week after Raven's fainting episode in the kitchen of their house, Tifa woke with a start. She remained still, listening carefully. She heard a small noise from downstairs and carefully slipped out of Cloud's embrace. She slipped on her gloves as she crept down the stairs, sticking to the wall to stop them from creaking. She explored the lower level of the house, discovering nothing out of the ordinary until she came to the small table by the front door. She picked up the envelope labeled in Raven's handwriting, _Tifa_. She quickly opened it and read the contents after staring at a check for a large amount of money.

_Tifa_

_I have some searching to do. I don't know what's going on with my life but I have to get away for a bit. I guess…I have to find myself. I'm restless and old memories are surfacing that are too painful for me. I will be back in a month or two. Three at the most. Inside is a check with enough money to cover my share of the rent for a good while. Take care. Tell Cloud I said bye and Reno that I love him and am sorry that I ah…drugged him. Please do not let him or anyone, including yourself, follow me or try to find me. I need to do this alone. Bye._

_With much love, your best friend,_

_Raven_

Tifa gasped, throwing the front door open, letter and check still in hand, and ran out into the cold night air, down the driveway to the road. She could see her friend a bit farther down the hard dirt road, pushing her motorcycle.

"Raven!" she cried, sprinting after the younger woman's retreating figure. When she reached Raven, Tifa studied her face in the dark, seeing nothing but determination.

"Tifa. I've made a decision. I told you not to try to stop me. I won't."

"I know…" Tifa said. "I just…I don't know. Are you going to be okay? Where are you going?"

"I'll be fine. I can definitely take care of myself." Raven smiled at her friend, "And…I don't know where I am going. Wherever I feel like, I guess. But…please wait until morning to tell everyone."

"Of course." Tifa whispered and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Be safe."

Raven nodded and turned away, walking down the road before she was far enough away that she could start up her bike without the people in the house hearing. Without a glance back she rode off into the wild, in the opposite direction of Edge and Midgar.

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_Reviews please! Tell me what you think. _

_Kitsune_


	3. Chapter 3: Lifting the Burden

**Chapter Three**

**Lifting the Burden**

Kadaj leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest and studied his older brothers,

"So…what do we know?" he asked in his sultry voice.

"She works at _The Angel's Wings_ four nights a week and two days." Loz replied, "When she works during the day she walks home and when she works during the night she rides a black and purple motorcycle."

"She lives on the outskirts of Edge, almost in the country, in a two story house with a woman named Tifa who is a bit older than her." Yazoo interjected, "I can't quite tell how old she is exactly, but she's young. Around your age Kadaj, or maybe a year or two younger."

Kadaj held up a hand for silence and began to ponder over how they would be able to get Raven to help them. Loz cleared his throat after a few minutes of silence,

"She's unhappy…and confused."

"How would you know?" Yazoo asked, raising one thin eyebrow.

"When I was at the restaurant…she acted happy and smiled…" The large man said, surprisingly soft, as he stared off into the distance, "…but in her eyes I could see a whole world of grief, pain, and confusion."

After a long time of silence Loz turned to find his two brothers staring at him, Kadaj gaping at him openly,

"Since when are you so sentimental??" He demanded. Loz scowled,

"Shut up! So I noticed something! Get over it!" He yelled. "I still say we just barge into her damn house and kidnap her…"

"No…" Yazoo reprimanded softly, "That would be bad. We need her to trust us and help us. Not hate us. Besides, I don't want her to turn her power on us in anger."

"She wouldn't do that." The two older men turned questioning eyes to their young brother and leader. "You aren't the only one who's been watching her and paying attention. I've never once seen or felt her use her power. I believe that is something that's upsetting her. All that pent up energy must be unbearable. I believe she doesn't want people to know how strong she is. If you were trying to live a regular life and had all that power in you, would you want people to know what you could do?"

The two silent men shook their heads.

"Exactly." Kadaj concluded, uncrossing his arms and leaning across the table, becoming even more serious, "Now, Yazoo is right. We can't just barge in and take her. She must trust us. What do you propose we do?"

"Seduce her." Yazoo said quietly after a few silent, thoughtful moments. Kadaj raised his eyebrows expectantly, causing the long-haired man to smile, "Well, all three of us are attractive, and she's very pretty. So it shouldn't be too difficult, especially if she's lost and confused."

"I'll do it." Loz said, grinning.

"No." his two brothers both said firmly at the same time.

"What?!" He exclaimed, "Why not??"

"Because. You're a lunk-head. You'd end up killing her, getting killed, or raping her." Kadaj said calmly. Loz gaped angrily at his youngest brother. He smirked at the large man,

"And I sure as hell am not going to do it. I can't be…sexy…or whatever." He turned to his other brother and added, "So that leaves you…think you're up to it?"

"Of course." He murmured, tilting his head and smiling.

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Raven's braid whipped against her back as she drove along the deserted rode. Dawn had come and passed a few hours ago and she was beginning to tire. The road that had once been straight now curved and twisted through valleys, over hills and around cliffs. She planned on stopping at the next valley for a nap.

Ten minutes later she slowed as the road cut between two cliffs. About half-way through the pass she stopped her bike and closed her eyes, letting her power flare out and travel over the surrounding land. There…she could feel someone on the other side of the pass. He was probably a mile past the exit of the pass and was alone. She frowned, but was curious, so she revved the engine and took off again to see what, and who, she would encounter.

As she left the pass Raven knew something had changed. She slowed to a stop again and closed her eyes, reaching out with her power. She felt him again and allowed her energy to wrap itself around him gently. She frowned. He was moving closer to her, very quickly. Probably running. He was tired and felt a little frightened. She opened her eyes and decided to ride on and meet this man to see what was going on.

As she rode closer to the man she began to hear gunshots. Confused, Raven sped up. 'I didn't sense anyone or anything else…' she thought, confused. As she turned quickly around a hill something leapt up at her. Grunting, she turned swiftly, skidding to the side and spinning all the way around before coming to a stop. Calmly, she revved the engine and spun around to face her assailant, relieved that Cloud had been the one to teach her how to maneuver a motorcycle and thankful that hers was styled almost exactly like his, which she had learned on.

Her attacker glared at her and growled. It was a strange, metallic looking creature about the size of a large tiger. It had a sharp angular face and muzzle, it's body was well muscled under what looked like armor. It snarled again, whipping its chain-like tail before leaping at her again. Time seemed to slow as Raven thought, needing to make a fast decision. She wouldn't be able to move or reach her weapon in time. The man was close but she couldn't tell if he was in sight or not. She _could_ try to dodge, take a wound that she could heal later and then fight back…but that seemed pointless. She would have to risk using her power for just a few seconds.

All these thoughts whizzed through her head in the span of a second. Upon reaching a decision, Raven released a bit of her power. Her eyes momentarily flashed black as the monster leapt, about to land on her. It opened its mouth and extended its claws only to slam into an invisible wall that flickered black when it hit it. Howling, the creature fell back and limped away, growling at her. She quickly pushed her power back down as she felt the man approaching.

"Careful!" She heard him call from behind her in a honey-smooth voice. She ignored him and reached for her weapon that was hooked to her bike above her right leg. The monster leapt at her again but disappeared with a scream in a cloud of smoke as a glowing yellow bullet shot through it. She sat up straight and turned to the man to thank him but faltered upon seeing him as he approached.

He was absolutely beautiful. His shining silver hair fell mostly down his back, though some of it trickled over his shoulders. His angular bangs hung in his green eyes, which was surprisingly sexy. He was thin, though lean, for Raven could see his muscles through the tight leather outfit he wore. She couldn't tell if he wore a shirt under the black coat. She almost blushed at the thought of the extremely attractive man shirtless. He stopped at her side, gun still in hand,

"Are you all right?" He asked in a velvety voice.

"Yes, thank you." She said, smiling, then held out her hand, "I'm Raven."

"Yazoo." He replied smiling, taking her hand and surprising her by kissing the back of it. When he rose he was serious, "You should get out of here. There's danger."

"And leave you out here on your own?" Raven chuckled, raising an eyebrow, "I don't think so." They both turned towards the pass she had just exited as howls drifted towards them. Raven calmly took an extra pin out of her hair and twisted her braid up and around the back of her head, pinning it tightly,

"Get on." She commanded. Without question Yazoo swung up behind her, laying his right hand gently on her waist, his gun ready in his left. Raven unhooked a thick rod from a hanging area on the bike above her right thigh. Yazoo watched curiously as she gripped the rod, that was about two feet long, tightly. As she sped away from the pass she pushed a button on the grip, causing the ends to lengthen into a staff that thinned on each side as it approached the ends. She cursed and sped up as boiling shadows crept up next to the bike. Yazoo wrapped his arm a little tighter around her waist and began to shoot at the shadows as the monsters erupted from the ground.

Raven swerved out of the way of attacking monsters and pressed another button on her staff-like weapon and blades came out of the ends. She spun it at her side and turned the bike to move at a monster head on, slashing through it easily.

"Head towards that forest." Yazoo commanded calmly, his lips brushing against her ear, causing her to swerve a bit at the surprisingly close and intimate contact.

"Alright." She called back as she twirled her staff and took down three more monsters as Yazoo continued to fire upon the enemy. When Raven and Yazoo entered the dark forest the monsters stopped following. Yazoo put his gun back in its holster and wrapped both arms around her waist so he wouldn't be thrown off. The ride was rough because they were off-road, but thankfully Raven was an excellent driver.

A few minutes later they broke through the woods into a small clearing, where Raven screeched to a halt,

"Are you alright?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Yes, thanks to you." She could here the smile in his voice. He released her waist and dismounted. Raven followed, propping the bike on its kickstand.

Yazoo continued to watch her as she pushed a series of buttons on her staff, making it click and fall back into the small, two foot rod. She leaned over the bike and placed it back on its holder.

"Oh." She said, jumping a little when she turned and saw him studying her with his head cocked to one side, making him even more beautiful and mysterious than before. She fidgeted a little, "Um…what were you doing out there by yourself?"

Yazoo smiled and lowered his eyes.

_**Flashback**_

"_H-hi!" The young girl asked, blushing as the beautiful man with long silver hair looked down on her, "Can I help you sir?"_

_Yazoo smiled back and leaned down a bit,_

"_Yes, I'm looking for my old friend, Raven. I know she works here and she isn't home. Might I speak with her?" Of course, Yazoo and his brothers knew that Raven had left. They had felt her leave, but not soon enough to follow. Now they weren't sure where to look. Kadaj was furious._

"_Oh…she quit."_

"_She did!" Yazoo exclaimed, feigning shock, "Well, do you know where I could find her?"_

_The girl shook her head. He stood up straight, his smile fading and eyes turning cold. The girl shrank back,_

"_I'm sorry. She didn't say. I do know that she headed out of town that way." The frightened girl pointed out of town._

"_Thank you." Yazoo nodded, voice hard. He turned and stalked out of the restaurant, pulling out his cell-phone as he walked. He pressed a button and listened as the phone rang. He scowled when he heard Kadaj's voicemail as he mounted his black and green motorcycle._

"_Kadaj. A girl at the restaurant said that Raven headed east out of the city." He said after the beep. "We know she left early this morning and she's sort of headed towards our home. I'm going to take some short-cuts and intercept her. I'm going to summon some monsters to attack us so we'll fight together and then I'll work my magic, and I mean that both literally and figuratively. If you have any problems with that you'd better call me back quickly."_

_Yazoo snapped his phone closed and tucked it away as he sped out of town, a blur against the desolate land._

_**Flashback Ends**_

"I live near here." He answered, raising his eyes to meet her gaze, "I like to go for walks and rides. This time I wandered a bit too far and those creatures appeared out of nowhere and attacked. What are you doing out here?"

"I'm…just traveling." She sighed, looking off into the distance sadly, "I'm having a tough time right now. Needed to get away from everything so I left home. I'm going back eventually but…not just yet."

"Ah…" He said, flicking a finger behind his back.

Once again, Raven didn't sense the creature, but she heard it. She turned around, gasping as the monster ran towards her and jumped into the air. Quickly, Yazoo spun around in a circle, withdrawing his gun and firing immediately, not even stopping to aim. The monster howled and disappeared, enveloping Raven in black smoke. She coughed and fell to her knees. Yazoo rushed forward and placed a hand gently on her back,

"Raven, are you alright?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

Raven nodded, still coughing. The strange smoke was suffocating her, coating her lungs in ooze. Closing her eyes and hoping he wouldn't notice, Raven concentrated on her burning lungs, allowing her power to wash through them and push the foreign substances up her throat. She jerked away from Yazoo and ran away to the edge of the trees to throw up. She was extremely surprised when she felt Yazoo beside her, holding back the loose strands of her hair that had come out of her bound braid. She was touched.

"Thank you." She said as she stood up, grimacing. "You saved my life. I'm ah…sorry you had to see that."

"It's fine. I'm glad I was here to help." He said kindly, trying to hide his excitement. He had definitely felt her use her power.

Then, something neither of them expected happened. There was a loud crack as the upper half of an enormous tree fell towards them; Yazoo's powerful and magical bullet had sliced through the middle of it. Raven, who was tired and not thinking properly acted instinctively, thinking only to protect Yazoo and herself. She threw her hands up, glaring at the falling tree,

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she screamed, her eyes flashing black. Yazoo gasped in awe as what looked like black light enveloped her hands and shot out of her extended palms towards the tree. As soon as her power touched the tree, it was surrounded in her black light. The falling tree stopped just a few inches above her hands. If Yazoo hadn't ducked it probably would have knocked him down. He looked away from the tree and into Raven's calm face. She lowered her arms, constantly watching the large tree as it moved away from them and then settled gently on the ground. She closed her eyes and lowered her arms, the black light disappearing from her hands and the tree. Yazoo gaped at her, impressed beyond words at what he had just witnessed and felt. The power surging from her had caused him to fall to his knees as she concentrated on lowering the tree. He was even more surprised when he saw tears slowly trickle down her cheeks.

"Raven!" he called out, leaping up and rushing to her side and gently taking her by her shoulders, "Raven, what's wrong—why are you crying?"

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, hanging her head.

"For what? Saving us?"

"I'm a-a freak…"

"Why do you say that?" he asked softly, taking her chin in his hand and gently lifting her head. Her eyes were still closed,

"You saw what I did." She murmured, "Nobody normal can do that."

"Well of course not." He said, chuckling. Her eyes flew open and she stared at him, horrified. He just smiled kindly,

"But that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you or that you're a freak. I am in awe of what you can do. I wanted to get to know you before your incredible display of power, but now I want to even more. You are impressive," he murmured, looking into her eyes intently as she slowly began to blush. He smiled, "and not to mention, extremely beautiful."

"Yazoo…" she studied his face, "You…really don't hate me or want me to leave?"

"No! Of course not!" he exclaimed, cupping her face in both hands, "Raven, you are an incredible woman worth knowing. Don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Thank you." She whispered, this time tears of happiness falling. Yazoo smiled and gently wiped them away with his thumbs. He pulled her into a light hug,

"You must be tired. You should come rest in my home." He murmured into her hair. Raven thought for a while as he stroked her back. She was so tired and Yazoo's embrace felt so good. If he did, somehow, turn out to be a not-nice guy she could easily defend herself,

"Yes, please. Just tell me how to get there…" she trailed off, leaning heavily against him. She suddenly felt exhausted and a little queasy,

"I'll drive, if you don't mind." He whispered, gently swinging her up into his strong arms. She curled up automatically, content,

"That's fine." Raven whispered back as she felt him mount her motorcycle and ease her down onto her lap. She smiled, "Thank you."

"For what?" He asked as he revved the engine and drove off into the forest with one armed clutching her to his chest. She sighed happily, nestling closer to him,

"Listening. Accepting. Not caring." Her voice was almost inaudible, "My heart feels…lighter."

"It's no problem…really…" The silver haired man whispered down at the young woman in his arms as she drifted off to sleep.

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_I like this chapter. I like this story. I hope you guys like it too. R&R please. _

_Kitsune_


	4. Chapter 4: Changes

**Chapter Four**

**Changes**

Reno sighed as he stared at the gloomy sky. He missed Raven. He had wanted to go after her so badly, but knew what the cost would be when and if he did catch up with her. It wouldn't have been pretty. He, like all her other friends, would just have to trust that she would come back.

"Reno!"

"Hn?" He snapped out of his reverie to look at Tifa standing at the head of the table next to Cloud, "Wud I miss?"

"Everything, probably." Cloud replied, rolling his eyes, "What was the last thing you heard?"

"Um…" the red-head thought about it, then grinned sheepishly, "I think it was, 'Everyone comfortable?'"

All the people sitting at the table stared at him. Yuffie rolled her eyes,

"C'mon, red! Pay attention!"

"Hush." He snapped at his friend, "Now someone fill me in."

"I'm repeating this _once_." Tifa said, only continuing after he nodded,

"Kadaj and his gang are definitely up to something. Yuffie's lost some materia and he and his brothers were seen in her town around the same time it disappeared. Also, Aelita saw Yazoo at work the other day. Now, don't be alarmed, but he was looking for Raven."

"WHAT!?" Reno yelled, standing up.

"Hush." Tifa scolded, "None of us know where she is so neither do they. All he told her was that he was an old friend and needed to speak with her. When she couldn't tell him where she went, Yazoo left. We really need to know what these three are up to because whatever it is, it's bad. I don't know why they were looking for Raven but we need to know. If you, or anyone, can find one of them or their base we'd be set." Reno scowled at the table, trying to figure out why they were trying looking for Raven.

"Tifa." Came a small voice from the far end of the table. All eyes turned to the newest member of the 'team'.

"Yes, Aelita?" Tifa asked kindly.

"I'd…I would like to ask permission to go in search of this…Yazoo character." The girl asked, standing up and bowing her head respectfully. "I saw the direction he went and I'm a good tracker. I've already followed him a bit and he left the road. I think I could map out and maybe even pinpoint him or his home. Or location or base or whatever you want to call it."

"Aelita." Cloud said softly, standing up, "It's too dangerous. You're too young."

"Yeah," Yuffie added, "don't worry about it. We'll find them a different way." Aelita looked down at the table, her light brown hair falling around her face. All was silent for a few seconds as everyone watched her. Suddenly, she clenched her fist and slammed it on the table,

"NO!" she yelled. All of them stared at her sudden defiance,

"I'm sick of sitting around doing nothing." She said, once again calm, "You allowed me to join this and work for you, but so far I've sat around and done nothing but paper work and errands. I'm done with that. I'm strong. I'm smart. These men could have a connection to the murder of my family. I want…I _need_ to do this." She raised her olive-colored eyes to meet Tifa's and everyone else's,

"Please."

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"Well done, brother." Kadaj congratulated Yazoo, smiling, "You did very well with getting her here. Now, how are you going to keep our lovely Raven with us?"

"I…thought ahead." Yazoo said slowly, staring into the water of the lake. He sat there with his two brothers, waiting for Raven to wake up, "When we were on her bike the first time, I bespelled her to get sick. Which she is. So, all we have to do is care for her. Especially me. She's already attracted to me, I can tell. She…showed me her power. Not intentionally though."

"What do you mean?" Loz asked.

"When I 'saved' her from that last monster, my shot accidentally severed an enormous tree. It was going to crush us so…going off of instinct I guess, she stopped it."

"…Stoped…it?" Kadaj raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. She raised her hands and chanted these words and this incredible power leapt from her hands and surrounded the tree. It stopped in the air inches above it. She…moved it with her mind or will or something. It was…awesome. And unexpected. The strength of her power and energy hit me so hard that it knocked me to my knees."

"Wow." Loz commented, eyes wide, "I'm glad she's on our side."

Kadaj snorted, "Not yet, brother."

"No…" Yazoo said softly, "But I believe she will be very soon. Raven is…happy that I didn't push her away or…call her a freak or anything after seeing her use her powers. Eventually I believe she will let you two know, and if you accept her, she will trust us. But that's just a theory." Kadaj nodded slowly, pleased with Yazoo. He smiled. Though he was older than Kadaj, Yazoo had always been the quietest of the three. Almost timid. He was glad that his older brother was opening up a bit. Maybe this 'project' would be good for him.

"I'm going in to check on her." Yazoo announced, standing up.

"What?" Loz asked, turning slowly to look up at his brother, "Are you really starting to care for her?"

"Loz, don't be stupid." Yazoo said as he turned and walked away, "I'm keeping up the appearance of caring."

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Raven groaned and turned over in her sleep, clutching her stomach. She felt a soft, cool hand on her forehead. She opened her eyes,

"Hey…" she muttered groggily.

"Hello." Yazoo replied with a smile, moving his hand to her cheek and placing his other one on her empty cheek, "How are you? You're burning up…"

"That feels good…" she sighed, "Your hands are cold…nice."

"Good." He whispered, leaving them there. He smiled a bit as he felt her power flare up.

Raven frowned as she let her healing power flow through her body. 'Where is this stupid illness?' she thought, 'Every time I get close it just…goes away.' She groaned and let her power sink back into her core as another wave of nausea over came her.

"Raven…"

"Hm?" she asked, breathing heavily.

"Can I…stay here for a while?" Yazoo asked quietly, "In case you need anything."

"Yes please." She sighed in response and soon drifted off to sleep again, though with a bad feeling. Soon, her nightmare vision begins…

_A tall man stands on the edge of a cliff on the outskirts of the city, watching Edge and Midgar burn. Screams and moans rise into the air from the city. The view changes and swivels around to show Raven standing a few feet behind and to the right of the man. He turns around and walks back to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looks up into his grey-blue mako eyes, her own violet ones brimming over with tears. She turns away from his piercing gaze but he grabs her chin, forcing her to look at him as he leans down so all she can look at is his eyes. His long, silver hair that reaches almost to his knees falls forward over his shoulders and brushes against her cheeks and neck, causing her to shudder. A small smile plays across his lips,_

"_I'm proud of you, Raven." He whispers, leaning in even closer to brush his lips against hers before releasing her face roughly. She closes her eyes as tears fall freely, staining her pale cheeks. She clenches her fists at her sides, blue-green bands encircle each wrist and ankle. A single chain in the same color is wrapped around her forehead. Her long hair is unbound and blows gently around her. She is dressed in black leather shorts and a long sleeved leather top. Her feet are bare. She opens her violet eyes and glares at the man,_

"_I hate you." She whispers. He smiles._

"_Really? Why…?" he murmurs, tilting his head to the side, "You _should_ be hating yourself, seeing as _you _were the one to do all of this." He sweeps his hand out over the city. Raven shuts her eyes again, and falls to her knees sobbing,_

"_NOOOO!!"_

Raven screamed on the top of her lungs and sat up, thrashing against the sheets that were now tangled around her legs. She closed her eyes, panting. She could sense Yazoo coming quickly from a good distance away. Soon she could hear his footfalls in the hall, followed by the door opening.

"Raven?" he asked, running over to kneel by the bed and take her hands. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes. The air felt cool to her, the illness gone from her body,

"How long have been out?" she asked quietly.

"Three days." He replied, reaching out to lay a hand on her forehead and then cheek, "Your fever broke."

"I need a pair of scissors." She announced. Yazoo stared at her like she'd lost it,

"Um…"

"Please, Yazoo." She turned to look at him, her violet eyes burning into his. He nodded dumbly and rose to his feet,

"I'll be right back." He said, before leaving. While she waited, Raven looked around her room.

It was fairly simple, but still pretty. It had obviously belonged to a woman. The walls and floor were the same white marble-like material. There were two doors; the one that Yazoo had used, and another that probably led to a bathroom. Glancing around, she saw that the room was sparsely furnished; there was a vanity and padded bench on the wall to her right and a large wardrobe on the one to her left. The door that led to the hall was a few feet farther down the wall form the vanity and the other door was across the room from her. The bed she lay on had white sheets and pillows. She grimaced at the color.

Soon Yazoo returned, a pair of thin, sharp scissors in hand. Raven gracefully stood and walked over to him at the door, taking the scissors,

"Thank you." She said. He watched as she walked over to the vanity and sat down, placing the scissors before her. Reaching back she undid her braid, or what was left of it, and shook her hair down. She glanced at him with a small smile before closing her eyes.

Yazoo felt her power before he saw it. She touched her hair and it slowly straightened. When she opened her eyes Raven looked more tired than before. He gasped, suddenly understanding what she was doing when she reached for the scissors. He was at her side in seconds, his hand covering hers,

"Raven…why are you cutting your hair?" he asked, confused, "It's so beautiful."

"I…just have to." She looked up into his eyes innocently, "Please just trust me." He watched her for a bit longer before nodding and stepping back to watch. She picked up the scissors and began to cut away her hair.

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Reno sat on the roof of the building used as their headquarters, watching the sun set. He heard the trap door open and close, not saying anything when Yuffie came and sat down beside him. After a few moments of silence she laid a hand on his arm,

"Reno…I know you miss her…we all do. And…don't worry about Kadaj and his gang. She's strong, fast, and a great fighter. She knows how to take care of herself."

Reno turned to look down at her. She smiled cutely at him, but he couldn't return it. For some reason he felt that Raven's leaving was partially his fault, and he just couldn't shake that,

"Thank you…Yuffie." He said, closing his eyes. 'God, I'm tired…' he thought. He automatically leaned into Yuffie's comforting hug and laid his head on her shoulder as he fought back tears.

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Raven stared into the mirror, horrified at what she had just done. She couldn't care less that she'd just cut her hair, it was _how_ she cut it that bothered her; short in the back and angled severely to be longer in the front, almost touching her shoulders. She studied her reflection as tears began to fall.

"Raven! Now what's wrong?" Yazoo asked, quickly sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulder,

"I-I didn't mean to cut my hair…like _this_." She said, sounding almost disgusted, "I just…sort of did…"

"What do you mean?" He asked, softly.

"Well…" Raven took a deep breath and closed her eyes as memories washed over her, "This is how my mother kept her hair styled. Two years ago she and my father were murdered. They worked for ShinRa. One…one day I was coming home with Reno and…my house was on fire. I broke away from his hold and ran inside, searching for my parents. I…I found them in their bedroom. Dead. They had been brutally murdered. That was just over two years ago. I…don't know who did it, but I would love to get my hands on them."

"Raven…" Yazoo whispered, genuinely sad for her. He pulled her into an embrace and watched her face in the mirror. Her eyes snapped open,

"Oh my…" she muttered, "I think I just figured out who killed them…"

"What?"

"They…had these strange glowing blue-green bands around their wrists, ankles, and foreheads." She sat up straight and stared at her own hands.

"And…?" he tilted his head to the side, still watching her relfection.

"My-my powers give me the ability to see into the future." Her voice was so quite Yazoo had to lean closer to hear, "Though, I can't see it when I want to. It just sort of…happens. And for the past couple months I've been having night-visions."

"Night-visions?"

"Yeah. They come in my dreams, which is better than when I'm awake because I know they're easier to change." She told him and then went on to explain the vision she kept having about the silver-haired man and her destroying the city. She also told him about the same glowing bands around her wrists, ankles, and forehead,

"That's why I left my home; I needed to try to change it. And…I cut my hair because I just had the vision again and every time I have long hair." She was then quiet.

"How do you know it won't happen in a few years when your hair grows out?" he asked.

"I can just tell." She looked up into his reflection. He actually looked a lot like the man in her vision, though Raven knew it wasn't him. Maybe a distant relative? And uncle or something, "I'm just hoping to see something soon to tell me that I've changed that future."

Yazoo nodded slowly, "Do you want to go outside and eat something."

"Yes please." She replied, suddenly noticing how hungry she was, "Is there…something else I could wear?" They both looked at her old, wrinkled black shirt and pants, both of which has tears and holes.

"Of course." He smiled, "I believe this room once belonged to a woman and that there are clothes in that wardrobe. I'll step out for a while. If you need to bathe there's a bathroom right there." He pointed to the other door. Raven nodded her thanks.

'What am I going to do?' she wondered as she rummaged through the dated clothing in the wardrobe, 'Should I stay, or leave? One or the other will change what I saw…' As she pulled out the only black garments in the wardrobe another vision hit her,

_Raven walks towards Yazoo, who leans against a white tree, surrounded by other glowing trees. She sits down next to him and he puts his arm around her as she nestles against him. He wears his normal attire and she is in a form-fitting black dress. She closes her eyes and smiles as he leans down and kisses the top of her head._

_The view changes to that of Raven's as she opens her eyes and looks over at the large shell-like structure on the same little island in the middle of the lake. Kadaj emerges with a girl and walks down the stairs towards them. He is smiling, as is the girl next to him. She is tall and slim with light brown hair that falls to her shoulder-blades. She is wearing a light green dress that almost matches her olive eyes._

"_Kadaj. Aelita." She hears Yazoo greet them. Kadaj and the young girl nod as he takes her hand._

Raven stares down at the black fabric in her hands,

"Well that changes a lot." She murmurs to herself.

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_Ehhh? So, what do you think?? I lerv reviews, so any you give will be welcomed!_

_Kitsune_


	5. Chapter 5: Discoveries

**Chapter Five**

**Discoveries**

Aelita slowly rode through the strange forest on her dark green bike. It was definitely the most bizarre forest she'd ever seen. All the trees had no leaves, as if they were dead, and they glowed a soft white. Frowning, she ignored the trees and followed the trail. It would have been difficult for a regular person to follow, but she had a gift that helped her.

Aelita could sense, and sometimes influence, people's emotions. When people moved they left a trail of emotions behind them, so it was easy for her to track them. She couldn't remember a time when she couldn't sense people's emotions. At first, when she was very young, it almost drove her mad. Millions of emotions were thrown at her daily in cities from the people surrounding her, but slowly she learned how to close them out and focus on just one person's emotions. On this particular trail, there were emotions from four different people. Three were very strong, as if they traveled on the road a lot. The fourth was faint and unfamiliar.

Aelita's senses twitched as she felt sudden anger coming from above and ahead of her. She smiled, reaching back with her right hand to grip one of her katana's and whipped it out of it's sheath. Skidding her bike on it's side she raised her weapon, keeping her blade parallel with her forearm, blocking her attacker. For a split second they stared at each other.

The man's weapon, a large contraption on his left arm with two fang-like devices sticking out was halted by her katana. The large man with short, spiked silver hair stared at her with blue eyes with cat-like pupils. He had on black leather pants and a black leather jacked that zipped. She smiled at him and with a small laugh whipped her arm around and, with surprising strength, threw him off and to the side. She left him on the side of the almost invisible path and pushed on faster. She didn't trust herself to fight on the bike; she definitely wasn't a talented driver like Cloud.

A couple minutes later she skidded to a stop, dismounted, and drew her other katana in one swift motion. She could feel him getting closer. Twirling her weapons around so she gripped them properly, Aelita crouched, ready for the attack.

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"Where is stupid Loz?" Kadaj growled. He, Yazoo, and Raven sat out on the stairs of the same structure from her last vision. They munched on dried fruit and meat.

"Something's not right." Raven suddenly announced. She set down her food, stood, and walked out from under the building and stood by the water. She closed her eyes and allowed her power to spread out.

Yazoo and Kadaj shivered and they felt her power wash over them. Yazoo liked what Raven wore; it made her even more attractive. In the wardrobe she had found tight black pants and short boots. Her top was a tight black spaghetti strap shirt that was a bit too small, leaving a strip of her midriff visible. Over this she wore a sleeveless leather jacket that laced from her neck to her waist before flaring out behind her, almost to her feet. The neck of the jacket turned up a little, giving her a hard-edge look.

"Oh." She sighed, getting the men's attention, "He's fighting someone. A young woman and I think I know her." With that Raven ran into the water and to the other side, slipping silently into the glowing forest. As she pulled her power back in a bit she felt Yazoo and Kadaj's surprise as they ran to follow her, causing her to smile a bit. When she found Loz and the girl, Raven was furious at both of them.

Loz straddled the girl's lap, an evil grin on his lips as he sneered at her, his odd weapon resting on her neck. The brown haired girl looked exhausted, her eyes closed. Two short katanas lay on the ground a few feet from them, which were probably the cause of the many cuts and slashes all over Loz's face a body. Raven's lips twitched in anger,

"LOZ!" she yelled, suddenly realizing that she didn't really know this man, though he did look familiar, "Get off of her."

"What?" he turned to her, snarling, "No!" He pushed a button on his arm-mounted weapon and it pressed further into the girl's neck, who whimpered.

As Yazoo and Kadaj joined her they staggered back as Raven released her power, throwing out a hand. Loz didn't even have time to draw a breath as he was thrown off the girl, crashing into a tree. He stared at her in awe, fear, and anger. She scowled at him before running to the girl's side,

"Aelita! Aelita, can you hear me?" she cupped the girls face in her hands and peered down at her. Kadaj and Yazoo hadn't moved, nor had Loz. All watched the purple haired woman as she closed her eyes and white light glowed around her hands and flowed over the young girl's still body. When it disappeared the brunette's burns from Loz's weapon were gone and she breathed evenly. Raven then stood up and walked over to Loz. He growled at her, but she glared and cut him off,

"Shut up and don't move." He obeyed. She then placed her hands on his chest where the worst of his wounds were and closed her eyes. White light engulfed her hands again and spread over his body, making him feel warm and tingly all over. When she finished, Raven stood and walked back to Yazoo and Kadaj,

"Can one of you carry her?" She asked. Kadaj nodded,

"I'll take her bike too and put her in the room next to yours." He said, walking over and scooping up the unconscious girl. He went to her bike and mounted, driving away after making a face at his eldest brother.

After he left, Raven turned an angry glare onto Loz,

"What were you doing?" she cried, "You could have killed her!"

"She was in OUR home. She was probably tracking us, maybe even looking for you! I had to do something!" he screamed back.

"You could have just asked her to stop or at least captured her instead of attacking!" she hollered back, closing her eyes and clenching her fists in frustration. Yazoo took a cautious step forward, lifting his hand,

"Raven…?" he asked, gently. He could feel her power throbbing around her. She ignored his soft call.

"Loz…" she hissed through clenched teeth, "You are _not_ on my good side. I swear, if you've done any permanent damage to her you _will_ pay."

Yazoo glanced worriedly around him. The glowing trees were beginning to quake and rattle. Loz didn't seem to notice, though he could feel her power pulsing,

"Just go on." He snarled, rising to his feet. He pushed past her, trying to knock her down with a stiff shoulder, but when he slammed into her she was like stone, causing Loz to stumble a bit. He growled and stormed off into the forest in the opposite direction of their home. Yazoo watched his brother go and slowly dropped his hand before turning back to watch the purple-haired woman. He was surprised and a bit frightened to see black light surrounding her hands, her eyes still closed tightly. Suddenly, with a loud crack, the tree that Loz had been leaning on split from the bottom up, a large rift appeared in the earth where he had been sitting. Yazoo's eyes flicked from the destroyed tree to Raven several times.

She sighed and opened her eyes as the black light faded from around her fists. Small beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. She reached up and brushed them off before turning back to Yazoo, sadness in her eyes,

"Now what do you think of me?" she whispered. A single tear trickled down her cheek, "This is what happens when I let my guard down. When I stop controlling my emotions. I almost killed Loz."

"Raven--" Yazoo murmured, staking a step towards her. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. He stopped and watched as she turned to the side. Black light appeared around her feet and she sank down into it, disappearing.

"Well…" Yazoo muttered, "That was unexpected."

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Aelita groaned and rolled over. 'This is the worst hangover I've ever had...' she thought, slowly bringing her hands to her head to massage her aching temples. She froze when she remembered what had happened,

"Oh yeah…" she muttered, voice cracking. She needed water. Sitting up, the young brunette stretched. Ignoring her pounding head, she swung out of the bed. The room was all white. There was only the small, single bed she had been in and a chest and wardrobe against one wall. She picked up her katanas from the top of the chest and strapped them on, one resting on each hip. She walked over to the only door and opened it, leaning against the frame for support. She closed her eyes, picking up on the emotional trail of whoever had brought her to the room. She followed the trail down the white halls and around a corner. She was in a room that was open to the outdoors on one side. The ceiling was high and dome-like. Her boots clicked lightly, echoing around her as she walked to the edge of the room and stopped at the top of a short flight of stairs leading down to the soft earth. Sitting by the water was a man, his back to her. His shoulder length silver hair rustled in the slight breeze. Judging by his emotions, this was the man that had brought her into the odd structure.

Aelita silently approached the man, not sensing any immediate threat. When she stood a few feet behind him, she cleared her throat,

"Excuse me, sir?" she asked. He jumped, leapt to his feet and whirled around,

"Wha-? Oh. It's you." He relaxed upon realizing who it was, "Erm…how are you?"

"Alright, except for a bad headache. I thought I had a massive hangover from a party." She smiled at him, cocking her head, "Who are you?"

"Kadaj." He answered, watching her carefully. She seemed very…comfortable, "And you?"

"My name's Aelita." She glanced around, "Where's Raven?"

"I don't know. She hasn't come back yet."

"Oh. Okay." Her eyes settled on the lake, "Can I drink from that."

"Yeah, I guess. Yazoo does sometimes."

"Yazoo?" she asked, frowning as she walked down to the edge of the water where she kneeled.

"My brother." He watched her as she dipped her hands into the clear water and drank deeply. Her hair was a few inches longer than his and light brown. He was pretty sure that her eyes were a dark olive, almost brown. She was thin and wore a short burgundy, longsleeve dress that was cinched around her waist with a brown belt. Under the dress she wore brown leggings that were cut off mid-thigh. Her ankle boots were also brown and had a small heel. When she finished drinking her share, Aelita turned back to him,

"And who was the guy that attacked me?" she asked, fiddling with the high collar of her dress.

"Loz. My other brother." He smirked as he sat back down, "He's a bit of an idiot."

"No kidding." She muttered, walking back to sit down beside him, "So. You guys live here by yourselves, or are there others?"

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Yazoo rode through the forest, grateful that he could feel Raven's power. He had run back to their home, grabbed his bike, and sped off into the forest. He had drove around randomly until he felt a twinge of her power and now knew he was close as he felt her power in the distance. He broke into a clearing and saw her laying on the ground, staring up at the stars. He cut off his bike and approached her, the soft glow from the white trees defining her tragic beauty. He sank down beside her and laid out his lanky body parallel to hers. Crossing his hands over his stomach he followed her gaze up into the heavens. After a few moments of silence, he turned to study her profile.

"How did you find me?" she asked suddenly, voice barely above a whisper. She kept her gaze straight ahead at the twinkling stars. He watched her a few moments before answering,

"I can sense your power." He answered softly. Now she turned to meet his intense gaze,

"How?"

"I don't know. I just can. My brothers can too." He frowned, "Why did you leave?"

"Because of what I did." Her eyes were intense and he fought the urge to look away.

"You did nothing wrong, Raven." Yazoo murmured, "You have every right to be angry with Loz. That girl is your friend, am I right?"

"Yes, though we aren't very close. But still…she's young." She pursed her lips. "Plus, I feel a certain…protectiveness towards her because her family was also killed."

"Ah." He continued to study her face as she turned her own gaze back to the night sky. "Raven?"

"Hm?"

"Let me know if you want me to leave." He said, watching closely for her reaction. None was evident until she answered,

"I'd like you to stay."

"Good." Yazoo smiled, pleased. "Tell me when you want to go home."

"Okay." She whispered, not noticing how he had implied that it was _their_ home instead of his own. Yazoo reached over and took her hand in his, happy that she didn't jerk away but instead smiled. He looked back up to the sky, for once in his life feeling light-hearted.

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Reno walked down the road with Yuffie, not really paying attention to what she said. It had been almost a month since Raven had left and he was worried about her. He'd left at least one message a day on her phone and she hadn't returned a single one. Over the past few weeks Yuffie had been doing her best to cheer him up, and he appreciated it, but her attempts were mostly futile.

"Reno. Someone's coming." Yuffie announced, tugging on his jacket sleeve and pulling him back to reality.

"…Hn?" he asked before following her gaze. A motorcycle was quickly approaching them from the distance. He frowned and stepped in front of Yuffie, drawing his weapon. The cyclist slowed as he drew closer, eventually coming to a stop a few feet in front of them. Reno recognized the man immediately,

"You're in Kadaj's gang, yeah?" He asked calmly, stepping forward and tapping the end of his rod on his shoulder.

"Maybe." Loz replied, flexing his muscles and chuckling, "What's it to ya?"

"I heard from…sources…that you guys were looking for a, ah…a friend of mine." Reno cocked his head to the side.

"Oh really?" Loz flashed a menacing grin. So this was Raven's boyfriend. Kadaj had said that a man would sometimes walk home with the violet-haired woman. "Would you be talking about…Raven?"

"What do you know about her!" Reno snarled, lowering him self into a fighting stance.

"Nothing really…" Loz mused, "Except that she's living with us now. And quite contentedly, might I add."

"Liar!" Yuffie yelled, stepping out from behind the red-head.

"Oh! Now who's this?" Loz raised his eyebrows, "Raven's only been gone for a month and you've already got a new girlfriend?"

"Shut! Up!" Reno screamed, preparing to attack.

"Oh, it's very true, sir." Loz chuckled. "In fact, I believe she's taken a liking to my younger brother, Yazoo. They spend a _lot_ of time together…alone, most days."

"Raaaagh!" Reno roared, running at Loz, weapon raised. Loz smirked and revved the engine of his bike, swerving out of range easily.

"You really should be thanking me!" the silver-haired man laughed, "After all, I'm helping you. Now you don't have to hold on any longer. She's through with you."

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_Okay, a slightly lame ending for that chapter, but I had to stop it somehow. Reviews please and thank you!!!_

_Kitsune_


	6. Chapter 6: Visions

**Chapter Six**

**Visions**

"Yazoo…" Raven whispered. When he didn't respond she sat up a bit, propping herself up on one elbow to look at him. 'He's so…beautiful…it's almost painful to look at him.' She thought.

Yazoo had fallen asleep next to her a while ago. She hadn't realized it at first, because he was an absolutely silent sleeper. 'He looks so serene.' She thought, smiling down on his still form. His head had fallen to the side causing his long hair to spill like sparkling water around him. A small smile played across his soft lips. Raven reached down and touched his hair. It was surprisingly soft. She gently picked up a lock of metallicy hair in her fingers and rubbed it thoughtfully with her thumb. Though she didn't mean too, her actions caused enough movement too catch his attention. Yazoo's left hand flashed across his chest to grab the wrist of her right arm firmly.

"Oh. Hello." He said groggily, smiling and releasing her.

"Sorry." She whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you. I just…"

"Just what?" he smiled, eyes half closed. Raven blushed, for the way he looked up at her was very seductive,

"I just wanted to…touch your hair." She turned away, blushing even more in embarrassment.

Yazoo suddenly sat up and leaned towards her, slipping his right arm under her left so his face was above hers and very close. His hair fell forward around their faces, blocking them off from the world. He stared into her eyes intently. For a long time neither said anything and hardly breathed.

Raven was getting dizzy gazing into his blue-green cat-like eyes when he suddenly leaned forward and kissed her. Her eyes grew wide in shock before closing them and kissing him back. She felt him snake is arm around her waist and pull her onto his lap as he nibbled on her upper lip, asking for permission to deepen the kiss. She placed a hand on his chest and pushed him away,

"Yazoo…" she murmured, resting her forehead on his shoulder, "I'm sorry I just…don't know you well enough and…I don't think this is the best time for me to get involved with you, or anyone for that matter. No offense."

"None taken." He whispered in her ear. "I can wait. Do you want to go home now?"

"Yes." She replied, though neither of them moved to get up right away. Eventually though, Raven slipped off of his lap, stood and stretched. Dawn would break soon. Yazoo followed her back to his bike, which he mounted first. She swung up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. As he drove away Raven rested her head on his back and frowned as her mind tingled. She closed her eyes, frowning…

_Raven looks down from her position on the wall. She glances at her arms that are raised above her, attached to the wall by glowing blue-green cuffs. When she looks at her ankles, she sees the same cuff-like bands. She closes her eyes in frustration, blocking out the cold, silver room from her view. She hears the door creak open and prepares to face her captor. When she opens her eyes, however, she gasps._

"_Raven!" Yazoo calls, running over to her, leaving Loz and Kadaj by the door to keep watch._

"_Yazoo, get out of here!" she says back, "It's not safe here."_

"_Hey!" they both turn to look at Loz, "There is _no way_ we are leaving here without you, so shut up." He winks at her._

"_He's right." Yazoo whispers. Raven turns back to look into his eyes, "I couldn't leave you here if my life depended on it…"_

"Oh dear." Raven murmured. She opened her eyes and frowned. 'That was an odd one.' She thought.

"You okay?" Yazoo asked over his shoulder as he parked his bike behind the large, shell-like structure that served as their home.

"Yeah." She said dismissively as she swung off from behind him and headed towards the building, deep in thought.

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Aelita sat in the center of the small bed and picked at the fraying edge of the sheets as she thought. After recovering from Loz's attack, she had to decide whether to stay or not. After much deliberation, she had asked Kadaj if she could stay with Raven for a while. He had kindly agreed, saying she could stay as long as she wanted. That it would 'be good for Raven to have a woman to yack with.', which hearing that from the serious young mad had caused Aelita to start laughing.

So far, however, she had found nothing wrong with the three men. She had slipped stealthily around the building in which they lived, as well as the surrounding area, and had found nothing incriminating against Kadaj and his brothers. In fact, from what she could tell, they were all very nice and docile. Except Loz. But he was probably just over protective of his brothers and territory. The evening he had attacked her he had apparently taken his bike and disappeared, not returning for two days. Kadaj had told her that his eldest brother was hot-headed and just needed to blow of the aggravation of being beaten by Raven. A knock at the door brought Aelita back to reality,

"Yes?" she called, still toying with the edge of the sheet. Kadaj opened the door and walked over to stand beside the bed,

"Loz and I have some business to attend to. We'll probably be gone until tomorrow night. Yazoo may or may not be coming with us." He cocked his head and studied her. 'She's quite pretty.' He thought.

"Oh. Okay. What are you guys going to do?" she dropped the sheet and clasped her hands in her lap. She was surprised when his eyes narrowed.

"Nothing really." He straightened and tilted his head back, causing his silver hair to ripple around his face, "We're running low on supplies, so we are going to buy some more. Besides, we get restless occasionally and have to go explore for a bit."

"Ah." Aelita hopped off the bed and turned to face him. She reached out and touched his hair, "Be careful. I wouldn't want Raven to lose any of you. Though you may not be able to see it, she's happier here than she was back in Edge."

"Really?" He murmured as he walked away from her. He was uneasy when she touched his hair.

"Yeah." She watched him walk slowly to he door, "Some days she would come in to work and, though she would look and act happy, I could tell she was sad and confused. Yeah, I've never been close to her but…as you may know, we're both orphans. So I feel a certain connection with her. I do hope to become better friends with her."

Kadaj turned back to the young girl,

"You are observant for one so young." He commented, softly.

"My mother said I was special." She chirped, smiling, "And I'm not that young. Just turned seventeen about a month ago."

"Of course." He returned her smile, "And why did your mother call you special?"

Aelita looked at him and pressed her lips together, trying to decide whether or not she should tell him about her gift. They obviously knew about Raven's powers, which had only been revealed to the brunette a week ago when Raven had told her about them and how she feared rejection. Of course, Aelita had been thrilled and immediately told the violet-haired woman about her own special power. This man seemed to accept Raven and her strange abilities, and the green-eyes girl's gift was similar to Ravens. 'What harm can it do?' she thought,

"I can…sense people's emotions." She said. He raised an eyebrow,

"Really?"

"Yup. And sometimes I can control them. Like make someone angry and irrational or extremely sad or loving, though that takes a lot of energy." She picked at the hem of her dress, "People leave an emotional trail that I can follow. I guess you could say it's like footprints or a scent. Ones emotions stay where they've been for a while before fading, and I can pick up on them."

"So that's how you found us." He said, more as a statement than a question. She nodded anyway,

"Loz was easy to track. His emotions are very unstable."

"I believe that." Kadaj said, chuckling. "But, I must leave now. Take care."

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Raven giggled earnestly for the first time in months,

"Aelita, why didn't I get to know you a year ago!?"

"Cause you're crazy." Aelita winked. She clapped her hands together, eye growing wide, "Oh! Say, what do you think of Kada? Isn't he gorgeous!?"

Raven laughed again, shaking her head in awe at the young girl's ability to switch from one subject to another in a matter of seconds,

"He seems a little distant to me." She replied thoughtfully, "And isn't he too serious for you? I hardly ever see him crack a joke or even smile."

"He's smiled at me several times before." The brunette pointed out. Raven smiled warmly,

"Maybe that's because you're so innocent and pretty."

"Oh, hush. I am not." Aelita grinned and thumped her violet-eyed friend in the head with a pillow. Raven laughed loudly and grabbed it out of the younger girl's hand to hit her back.

"Are too!" she grinned. "But it's getting late and I'm exhausted. You should get some rest too."

She smiled and nodded as Raven stood. She leaned over and hugged the girl before leaving. She went into her room next door and smirked at the white room. She hated that color. She stripped off her coat, shoes, pants and shirt. She crawled into bed, wearing only her undergarments. She closed her eyes and fell asleep an hour later.

_Loz grunts as he blocks the silver-haired man's attack. The weapon on his left arm sparks several times as he grips the handle._

"_Loz!" Raven screams as tears fall down her cheeks, "Please just leave! I'm not worth your life!"_

"_Are you kidding?" he yells over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off his attacker, "I've never seen my brother so happy as when you are around. Despite how he looks and acts, Yazoo is a delicate man. I will fight for that, for him, and for you."_

"_Aw…" the silver-haired man coos cruelly, "Isn't that touching?" He smirks at Loz before attacking again. Raven cries out as Loz acquires more and more cuts and wounds from the other man's shockingly long sword. Suddenly, the man laughs and spins around and slashes at Loz's arm, knocking off his weapon._

"_Shi—ARGH!" Loz cries as the man stabs him through the stomach._

"_NO! LOZ!" Raven screams between sobs. She rushes forward as the murderer withdraws his weapon and steps back,_

"_Loz! Loz can you hear me?" she cries, cupping his face in her hands. When he doesn't respond she whimpers, "Don't leave me…"_

"_I-I'm sorry…Rae…" he whispers, coughing up blood, "Don't you die or anything…Yazoo would…hate that."_

_Raven nods. Tears drip off her cheeks and splash onto his,_

"_Please Loz…" she chokes out, "You can't die. Not when we were just starting to get along."_

"_Raven…" he coughs, ignoring her last plead, "He loves you…you know…fight for him…and…yourself…"_

"NOOOO!" Raven sobs, sitting up in bed as the vision slowly faded away. She threw the blankets off of her and stumbled over to the chest. She quickly pulled on her shirt and pants. She wiped her tears off on the back of her hands.

When she got outside she inhaled the cold air, reveling in the feeling of cleanliness. She walked over to the water and sat down on the bank. She didn't realize she was not alone until she heard the clink of metal,

"There you are…" Vincent murmured in his low voice as he sat down beside her. She turned to look at him,

"You're hungry." She commented, noticing his blood red eyes which were normally a lovely amber, "Or thirsty, or whatever you call it."

"I've been looking for you. Rumors have been…floating around." He said, not seeming to notice her observation.

"What sort of rumors?" Raven asked, reaching out and touching his hair. He smiled at her.

"That you were living with Kadaj and his gang. You were happy and you spent a lot of time with the middle brother, Yazoo."

"All true." She replied calmly. She scooted closer and began to play with his hair. "They are kind to me and I sense nothing wrong with any of them, though Loz is a bit hot-headed. I spend time with Yazoo because he saved my life and accepts me most of all. With, my powers, you know. Kadaj and Loz are fine with it, but Yazoo is the nicest about it. I've been staying here because…I am happier. And coming here and…heh…cutting my hair has changed the future for the better."

"Oh. That's…fine." Vincent studied her. She had told him about the vision of the destroyed city. He himself reached out and touched her hair, "I like it. It's very…you."

"Vincent…" she whispered, looking into his eyes that burned with desire. "If you don't drink soon you will be irrational."

"Raven, no. Not again." He reprimanded.

"Vincent, you're going to hurt yourself." She snapped.

"Not as much as I would hurt you if I bit you." He replied calmly.

"Not true." Raven thumped him on the forehead with a finger, "Last time it didn't hurt at all. In fact, it felt very good." She scooted closer and looked into his eyes, smiling.

"Raven…" he groaned. Her scent was tantalizing. She continued to smile as she reached up and pulled his head down to her neck.

"Vincent. You need this. We'll be okay." She waited, feeling his hot breath against her flesh.

"They want me to bring you back." He murmured. "But I won't…if you want to stay."

"I do…" she whispered. She closed her eyes as he kissed her neck, "Vincent?"

"Mm?" he held back, though he desperately wanted to bite her.

"Don't tell them where to find me…please." She felt him nod against her before he sank his teeth into her neck. Raven sighed as she felt him drink greedily. After a while he lifted his head a bit, trailing his lips up her neck to kiss her gently on the lips,

"Thank you, Raven…and no, I won't tell them."

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Yazoo walked down the white hall. He had decided not to go with his brothers on their 'expedition'. He stopped outside Raven's room, wanting to talk to her. He placed his hand on the door and frowned. The room was silent and though he could feel her power coming from…somewhere, it didn't feel like it was from her room. He pushed the door open and his frown deepened. She wasn't there. Her jacket and boots were by the chest and the bed had been slept in. He couldn't imagine where she could be at three o'clock in the morning.

Yazoo stormed down the hall angrily. 'Why the hell would she disappear like that? She could get hurt?' he thought. Of course, deep down he know that probably wasn't true. He hurried down the stairs leading outside and froze. Down on the shore of the lake was Raven in the arms of a man. Her eyes were closed and her body was limp. The man held her in his lap and was bent over her, his face buried in her neck. His black hair fell over her and brushed over her face.

"Raven!" he yelled, panicking. He had heard of the fabled vampires, but had never believed that they existed. He ran forward, pulling out his gun as he did so. The vampire lifted his head and snarled at the silver haired man, who was lifting his gun to shoot him. Yazoo caught his breath as Raven stirred and sat up, holding her head,

"You bastard!" he screamed, firing at the vampire clad in red. He was utterly shocked when his bullet glanced off an invisible wall that flickered black, "Wha-?"

Raven stumbled forward and pushed the vampire back, holding her hands out in front of her,

"Yazoo…" she said softly, "Stop it…"

"Raven! He'll kill you!" he choked back a sob, terrified for her safety.

"No he won't." she turned back to the vampire, "Vincent, you should go."

"No." the vampire said roughly.

"You know him?!" Yazoo still hadn't lowered his gun and his hand shook wildly.

"Yes…" Raven stumbled a bit, though still kept her hands up before her.

"Oh God…" Vincent said, stepping forward and taking her by her shoulders, "Raven…I'm sorry I must have lost control a bit."

"It's alright." She said softly. "You needed it."

Yazoo could do nothing but stare in disbelief at the woman before him. 'She's _protecting_ him!' he thought. 'He almost killed her and she's _protecting_ him!' He was torn from his thoughts when the violet-haired woman stumbled and fell. He jerked forward, ready to run to her side but froze when the vampire caught her easily and lowered her to the ground, talking softly to her. Yazoo approached them carefully. When he reached them the vampire looked up at him with amber eyes.

"Take care of her." He said, standing up swiftly and holding the limp girl's body out to him. Yazoo swiftly holstered his gun and took Raven in his arms, holding her close to his chest. He looked back at the vampire with hatred and curiosity in his eye.

"Why would you care?" he sneered. He watched as the vampire gazed down at the woman in his arms.

"Because I…" Vincent sighed and turned away, "Because I love her. As do all her friends. So please take care of her. I will be back in a month or so to check on her."

And with that he leapt up into the trees and disappeared. Yazoo stared after him in wonder before walking over to a tree. He slowly sat down, careful not to jostle the woman in his arms. There was a bite mark surrounded by a large bruise on her fair neck. He reached out and touched it gently. Then he sighed and leaned back against the tree to wait.

Twenty minutes later Raven stirred and opened her eyes,

"Yazoo…" she muttered. He met her gaze but remained silent, "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's alright." He sighed. "I just wish I had known that _you_ knew him. I was…frightened."

"Really?" she smiled up at him.

"Yes." He frowned and touched the bruise on her neck again. She reached up and took his hand in hers, moving it away from her neck. Without releasing his hand, she reached up with her free one and placed it over the bruise. Her hand glowed white for a moment and when she removed her hand the wound was gone,

"You really amaze me, Raven." He said, smiling, "But tell me, why weren't you in bed, sleeping?"

"Oh…" she closed her eyes, "I had another vision, plus…it's too bright in there. I…hate white." Yazoo laughed.

"Not that I don't appreciate you taking me in." she added in a rush.

"It's fine, I understand." He smiled, thoughts rushing through his mind, "Would you like to go visit your friends in Edge tomorrow?"

"Yeah…" she turned back to look at him, "We'll be coming back though…right? Together?"

"Of course." He replied, pulling her into a hug.

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_Yeah well…the title of the chapter doesn't really match with the content but oh well. I couldn't really think of anything at the time. :P Hope you're enjoying the story!_

_Kitsune_


	7. Chapter 7: Betrayal

**Chapter Seven**

**Betrayal**

_You've been there for almost TWO MONTHS!_ Aelita grimaced as she read Tifa's text message, _What the hell is taking you so long?! Everyone is FREAKING out, call me back!_

The brunette groaned and closed her phone, falling back onto the bed.

"Yazoo owes us _big time_." Kadaj sighed, falling down next to her on the new, black sheets.

"No kidding." The girl muttered, rubbing her face with her hands, "Though I'm happy to help Rae anytime."

"Rae?" Kadaj asked, turning to look at her.

"Yeah. It's her nickname." She said, returning his gaze, "That's what we call her at the restaurant and her friends call her that too."

"What do they call you?" he asked softly, studying her face in the growing darkness. After painting Raven's room and accessories black, it got darker more quickly in it. She seemed so young and innocent, let he knew she was intelligent and mature for only seventeen. Her olive eyes sparkled in the darkening room and a small smile played across her full lips. He wondered what it would be like to hold and kiss her, to caress her tan, smooth skin. Kadaj closed his eyes and mentally slapped himself for even _thinking_ about her like that. He had more important things to think about than a relationship.

"They just…call me Aelita. Nothing else really." She answered. She suddenly propped herself up on an elbow and reached over to take several locks of his silvery hair in her fingers.

"What are you doing?" he asked, catching his breath. He closed his eyes when she started running her fingers through his hair. It felt surprisingly good.

"I'm fascinated by your hair. It's probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." She replied, doing her best to memorize its strange look and texture.

"Uh…thank you." He stammered. He closed his eyes, wanting to remember the feeling of her long, delicate fingers ran through his hair. He surprised even himself when he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the mouth. He jerked back, eyes wide, when he realized what he was doing,

"I'm so sorry!" he said in a rush before leaping off Raven's bed. He turned away and quickly left the room.

"Kadaj!" Aelita called out. She rolled off the black bed and dashed out the door after him. She froze in the hall. 'Gracious that man can more quickly.' She thought as she looked left and right. She sighed and closed her eyes, picking up his fresh and distinct emotional trail. She smiled as she turned to the right, following his strong emotions, most of which were embarrassment and want.

At the end of the hall the small brunette found a spiral staircase. From the emotions she was picking up, Kadaj was the only one to go up and down them. Aelita silently ascended the white stairs, curious to see where they lead. At the top was a door that almost blended in with the strange material of the structure. She grabbed the handle and tried to enter, but it was locked. With a chuckle she reached into a hidden pocked of her belt and produced a small collection of lockpicks. 'Maybe being on my own for a year wasn't such a bad thing…' the girl thought while deftly unlocking the door with her picks. After the deed was done, she put her picks back in the pocket, being careful so not to break them.

"Kadaj?" she whispered as she opened the door.

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Instead of feeling happy when they passed into the limits of Edge, dread washed over Raven. She wrapped her arms more tightly around Yazoo's waist and laid her cheek on his warm back. She smiled as his long hair tickled her face. 'It'll be nice to see Reno again…' she thought. Despite her attraction to the silver-haired man she rode with, Raven missed her boyfriend. A lot. It had, after all, been over three months since she had seen him. She lifted her head as Yazoo slowed and pulled over on the side of the street near the edge of the city.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked her over his shoulder. She thought for a while before answering,

"_7__th__ Heaven_. It's the bar where Tifa and some of my other friends work." She then went on to tell him how to get there.

Five minutes later Yazoo stopped one block away from Tifa's bar and allowed Raven to get off the bike,

"You have my number?" he asked softly.

"Speed dial eight." She replied with a smile, "I'll call you when I'm ready. Shouldn't be more than a few hours."

"Okay." He started up the bike again and prepared to leave.

"Yazoo?"

"Yes?"

"Can we stay in Edge tonight and go home tomorrow? I want to have dinner at the restaurant where I worked. We can spend the night at Tifa's house…well…mine."

"Sure." He smiled, "But I don't know if your friends will like me being there. They seem to…not like me or my brothers."

"I'll sneak you in through my window." Raven winked and turned away. When she got across the street she called back over her shoulder, "Have fun with whatever you do!" she heard him drive off, speeding as always, as she pushed through the front door of the bar.

She walked up to the counter and frowned. Where was everyone? 'It's still a bit early but someone should be down here.' She thought. Thankfully, however, she knew her way around the building, so she walked behind the counter and up the stairs,

"Helloooo!" she called as she ascended. When she got to the third floor she walked to the end to Reno's room, wondering if he still lived there. She knocked and when there was no response she went in, only to stop in her tracks and gasp at what she saw.

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"Wow…" Aelita murmured, eyes wide. Kadaj's room was amazing. It was huge and silver, with a large bed in the center against the wall facing three enormous windows that looked out over the lake. Despite it's size, the room was sparsely furnished. Besides the bed there was only two wardrobes, one on either side of the bed, a chest directly beside the bed, and a silver couch in the center of the room facing the windows. There was a door on the opposite wall of the entrance, presumably leading to a bathroom. Kadaj was standing before the window,

"Nice room." She commented as she closed the door, continuing to watch the silent man. Apparently he hadn't heard her enter because he jumped when she spoke aloud.

"How did you get in here?" he demanded as he turned and advanced towards her.

"I picked the lock." She said simply with a shrug.

"You what?!" he hissed when he stood before her, glaring down.

"Um…" Aelita suddenly regretted what she did. Kadaj's eyes burned with fury, "I'm sorry. I didn't think. I just wanted to know if you were alright."

She turned around and opened the door. She began to descend when Kadaj spoke,

"Hey." She glanced back to see him standing at the top of the stairs. For a long time the two watched each other in silence. Finally, he spoke again,

"Next time just knock. I don't like when people enter my room uninvited." He began to turn back to his room but stopped. Instead, he walked slowly down the stairs until he stood on the same stair as her. He cocked his head to the side, watching her closely. Her eyes were lowered.

"I'm sorry for how I acted." Aelita whispered, "It's just…sometimes I don't think. Part of me-probably the rational part-went away after my family was killed. For a year I wandered the streets, nothing but a lowly urchin. That's where I learned to pick locks and move with stealth. For a long time I stole and spied. Then, just over a year ago, Cloud found me breaking into Tifa's bar. Instead of cursing me, or attacking or calling the officials…they took me in. They were kind to me, and even more so when they found out about my family. They let me live with them and found me a job. They were my new family. That's how I met Raven; at work. _The Angel's Wings_."

The entire time her eyes had been almost closed, her lashes quivering slightly. Her voice was barely audible.

"Are you…crying?" Kadaj asked, almost laughing in disbelief. She heard the laughter in his voice. Felt the emotions emanating from him.

"You think it's funny?!" she hissed, suddenly angry. Her shining eyes flashed up to meet his, "I feel horrible for some reason. I feel like I've stomped all over your welcome and upset you somehow, and how do you respond to that?! YOU LAUGH!"

Kadaj was thoroughly surprised with the quiet girl's sudden outburst. He studied her face and reached up to gently brush away a tear. She flinched.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said softly.

"I know…you just…remind me of someone who would." She muttered.

"Ah…well…" he sighed, "I promise to never hurt you, okay?" She nodded. He smiled at her, feeling bad for making her cry. He gently took her by the arm and led her back up to his room and over to the couch, where they sat down.

"So." Kadaj asked kindly, "Is there anything else you'd like to talk about, or maybe ask me?"

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"Reno!" Raven cried out in disbelief. She had walked in and found her so-called boyfriend laying on his bed, without a shirt, cuddled up with Yuffie. They were much closer than people who were 'just friends' should be. The red-head jerked awake, dumping Yuffie off his chest,

"Nh—wha—Raven!?" he rubbed his eyes a few times, not believing she was there and looked so hurt.

"Ugh…Reno what's happening?" Yuffie said, shaking her head. She looked up and saw the purple-haired woman in the door-way, "Raven! You're back!"

A single tear trickled down the violet-eyed woman's cheek. She clenched her fists at her sides and glared at the couple in bed,

"How…how _could_ you, Reno?" she whispered, "I…I said I would come back…or was that not good enough for you?"

"Raven I--"

"NO!" she screamed. The windows rattled and Yuffie scooted closer to Reno, frightened, "We're THROUGH Reno! I can't believe you would do this to me…" Raven began to cry. Yuffie shrieked when the window cracked and the desk beneath it rattled.

"Raven, listen." The frightened woman next to Reno began, "It's not what--"

"Oh _please_ Yuffie, it's _exactly_ what I think!" Raven sneered, "Don't try that ridiculous line on me it won't work. I came back here to see my…to see Reno and everyone else, but you know, I don't think I'm going to stick around." And with that the violet-haired woman turned on her heel and stomped out of the room. The couple in bed jumped and yelled when the desk shattered.

Raven pulled out her cell-phone when she reached the bottom of the stairs, getting ready to call Yazoo. She looked up when she heard her name called,

"Raven! It's great to—oh no!" Tifa ran forward, leaving Cloud at the door, and hugged the younger woman, "What happened?"

"Re-Reno…and Yuffie." She whispered and pushed away from Tifa. "I'm sorry Tifa. I don't know if I can stick around after seeing them…together." She pressed a button on her phone and held it to her ear.

"Raven…" Cloud started as she walked to the door, "Those men you are with…they are _bad_."

"No. They're not." Raven hissed at him. She was relieved when she heard Yazoo pick up, "Yazoo…can you come get me?"

"_Raven. What happened?"_ he asked, sounding worried.

"I'll tell you later." she whispered, ignoring Cloud and Tifa's stammered pleas. She choked back another sob, "Just…come get me please."

"_I'll be there in no time. I—be careful."_

"You too." She breathed deeply and put her phone away. She sat down on the curb outside the bar.

"Raven _please_ listen to me." Tifa said. She sat down beside her friend and put a comforting arm around her, "Listen to _us_."

"Yeah." Cloud added and sat down on Raven's other side, "I know those men, they are _bad news_. I know what Reno did was inexcusable but we thought that--"

"It doesn't matter." She cut him off. She sighed in relief when she felt Yazoo approaching. She wrenched out of Tifa's hold and stood up, "I…may visit later. But not for a while."

Tifa and Cloud gaped at her as she walked forward when a silver-haired man on a bike screeched to a halt in front of them. She stopped beside him, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. He glared at them, obviously thinking that they were the ones to harm her.

"Raven!" Reno yelled as he stumbled out the front door, "Don't go! I--"

"Save it, Reno." She growled at him and swung up behind Yazoo. She wrapped her arms around his waist and glared at the red-head, "You've lost me and there's no chance of getting me back." She turned her face away from them to rest her cheek on his back and the silver-haired man gave Reno a dirty look before revving the engine and roaring away as quickly as possible.

Five minutes later Yazoo pulled to a stop in an abandoned parking garage. He stayed still for a long time, waiting for Raven to move. Eventually she slid off the bike and walked over to a cement support column. Her clenched fists began to glow with black light. Her companion watched with calm interest. She suddenly screamed and punched the column of cement, completely obliterating it. For a split second Yazoo panicked when it crumbled around her, dust going everywhere. He relaxed when the dust and debris began to clear away to reveal a furious violet-haired woman surrounded by a flickering black sphere.

Yazoo dismounted and propped the bike on its kickstand. He picked his way through the rubble and stopped when he got to the black sphere. He took off his gloves and tucked them in the strap on his back that held his holster. He slowly raised his hands and placed them on the edge of the sphere. He clenched his teeth as her power flowed through him, making him feel like his body was on fire from the inside out.

Raven turned inside the sphere to look at him. Her eyes were completely black. She cocked her head to the side and chuckled maniacally. Yazoo didn't lower his hands, just set his jaw and locked eyes with her,

"Raven…" he grunted, "It's me…relax and…let's talk it out." He gasped as pain racked his body. He almost smiled when violet flickered through her black eyes. Slowly, they faded back to normality and the orb surrounding her faded. Yazoo closed his eyes and lowered his arms, flexing his numb hands as he did so. Without opening his eyes, he reached out and pulled her to him as she began to cry again.

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_ I lerv my story! I know I've probably said that already, but oh well! I hope you are enjoying it too. Any reviews are welcome! Bye!!_

_Kitsune_

_PS. Sorry if there are a lot of typos in the past couple of chapters. I've been too tired to edit a lot. :P_


	8. Chapter 8: Family

**Chapter Eight**

**Family**

Reno stared silently in the wake of the motorcycle,

"She's gone…" he whispered. "She…still cared for me…I believed that idiot two months ago when he said she didn't care anymore."

"It's okay, Reno." Cloud said softly. He walked over to his red-haired friend and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "We believed him too."

"What now?" Reno asked as tears left small trails on his burning cheeks.

"I don't know." Tifa said and crossed her arms, "I don't think anyone should go after her though."

"Why not!?"

"Because, that would only make it worse." Tifa stood slowly and walked over to lean her forehead on Cloud's shoulder, "We just…have to let her work this out on her own." Cloud wrapped his free arm around Tifa's waist and kissed the top of her head,

"Tifa's right, Reno. Let her go. She will come back when she's good and ready."

"She wouldn't even listen to me…" The red head murmured.

"Well, though you may not have meant to, you hurt her. A lot. People make mistakes and hopefully she will forgive you, which I'm guessing she will. Raven is an intelligent young woman. She'll come around."

"I hope so." Reno replied as he continued to stare down the empty road, "For her sake. Those brothers are bad news."

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"Why did you kiss me?" Aelita shot, smiling triumphantly when she realized she had caught him off-guard. For the past few hours the young couple had been firing random questions at each other in hopes of getting to know one another better.

"I-ah." Kadaj fumbled and then cleared his throat, "You looked so pretty and innocent. I'm not really sure why I did it, I just did."

"And why did you apologize and leave?" she asked, leaning back against the arm of the couch. He moved to mimic her on the other end of the long silver couch,

"Because…what I did was rude and I figured you didn't like it."

"How do you know?" Aelita laughed, raising an eyebrow.

"I just…figured, I suppose." He said with a shrug, "It was done on an impulse. It probably will never happen again. It was an…'in the moment' thing. The way you looked and smelled. And how good it felt when you were running your fingers through my hair."

"Oh." She giggled and started crawling towards him on the couch. When she was crouching over him, a knee on either side of his waist and her right hand propping herself up on the couch beside his neck, she whispered seductively,

"Oh…you mean like this?" she raised an eyebrow and began to slowly run her fingers through his shining hair, starting with her hand against his scalp and moving it back and down. His silky hair felt wonderful on his fingers. Unintentionally, Kadaj closed his eyes and sighed contentedly,

"You should stop that…" he murmured, "I might do something stupid."

"Define stupid." She said laughing, but she stopped messing with his hair.

"Me taking advantage of you." he whispered. He looked up at her, his teal cat-like eyes dark. The look in his eyes made her shiver, but not with fear. She smiled and leaned down to whisper in his ear,

"I don't think that's possible."

Aelita's hot breath on his ear and neck sent a shock down his spine. Quick as a flash, Kadaj snatched the thin brunette around the waist, sat up and flipped her on her back so they were now in opposite positions. He loved her wide-eyed expression of shock. He reached out with one long, pale finger and stroked her cheek thoughtfully,

"You have no idea what I'm capable of…" He smiled somewhat evilly when, for a split second, fear flicked across her eyes. She smiled up at him,

"I'm not afraid." She whispered, "You promised."

"Indeed…" he murmured and leaned down, brushing his lips lightly over hers. She leaned forward, wanting a real kiss, but he pulled back to grin at her. She scowled. He gently took her chin in one hand, holding her still. He never broke her gaze as he leaned down and left a trail of feather light kisses from the corner of her mouth down to the sensitive skin beneath her ear.

"Aelita…" he murmured and smiled when she gasped at his light nips and nibbles. He slid his hand down her neck to rest just below her collarbone as he flicked his tongue against her earlobe, earning a small whimper from the still girl. Kadaj swiftly sat up, bringing her with him, and placed her gently on his lap, continuing to leave light kisses and bites all along the side of her neck.

"Kadaj…" he heard her moan lightly. Suddenly she grabbed the back of his neck and forced him to turn so she could kiss him on the lips. For a moment he stared at her closed eyelids, shocked at her strength and ability to, once again, catch him off-guard. He quickly let all thoughts leave his mind and wrapped his arms tightly around her, wanting only to know the feeling of her in his arms and the warmth of her lips on his.

Ten minutes later he broke away and buried his face in her neck and hair. They were both breathing heavily,

"Aelita…I need you…" he hissed, "I _want_ you."

"Well…" she whispered. Her head was tilted back and had her eyes closed, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of his lips all over her neck, ear and collar bone, "I'm right here…"

"That's not what I meant." He growled, holding her even closer. His sudden aggressiveness made her mad with lust,

"No crap. I know what you meant." She hissed into his ear before nipping it, a little more roughly than necessary. She grinned when he yelped, "And when I said 'I'm right here', I meant I'm here…and I'm yours…"

Upon these words Kadaj bit her neck. Hard. She suppressed a loud howl of pain and pleasure. His hands worked their way to the clasp of her belt and he fumbled with it as he kissed her. She broke their deep and hungry kisses,

"Let me. There are valuable and breakable things in there." When he raised his eyebrow as she deftly removed the belt and hung it over the back of the couch she answered his unspoken question breathlessly, "Lockpicks, mostly."

He opened his mouth to reply but Aelita smothered his lips with her own, her eager tongue invading his mouth. She felt his hands slip up her dress and begin to tug off her tights. She kicked off her boots to help him out a bit as she unclasped and unzipped his leather shirt-coat. In a matter of seconds Aelita lay over him, stroking his well muscled chest. She wore only her undergarments and one sock and Kadaj was only in tight black pants. He smiled as she leaned down to kiss him. He reached around and began to undo her brazier when a bright light flashed across the window. They froze.

"Damn." Kadaj hissed, sitting up and practically throwing Aelita to the ground, "I forgot about those windows."

"Good one." She replied dryly. She watched his still figure for a moment as he watched Yazoo pull his bike around the building. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear,

"But don't you…" the surprisingly seductive seventeen year old stopped to lick the outside of his ear before continuing, "…have a bed?"

Somehow this fact seemed to have slipped the silver-haired young man's mind. He turned back to her, grabbed her around the wais, and flipped her over his shoulder. She yelped as he leapt gracefully over the couch to the bed, grinning wickedly when he tossed her roughly onto its silver blankets.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

Raven stood in Yazoo's embrace for more than twenty minutes. The tears had stopped flowing long ago, but she didn't have the strength to move or talk. If she could, the violet-haired woman would lean on him forever. Eventually, though, she knew it was getting late and they should go. She lifted her head and gazed into his green-blue cat eyes with her own purple ones,

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"For what?" he asked softly, cocking his head to the side. He smiled down at her kindly.

"For all of that…crap. And if I hurt you." With that she stepped back and caught his falling arms. She took his wrists in her grasp and turned his hands to face up. They were black, as if he had rubbed them with coal. She looked back up at him, not releasing his hands,

"Does it hurt?"

"No." he flexed one hand and grimaced, "I think they're numb. Don't worry about it though."

She frowned when he shrugged and then shook her head. She flipped his hands to face the ground and moved her hands to face up, palm to palm with his. She closed her eyes and focused her power. Yazoo flinched when the feeling came back to his hands, making it seem like his palms and fingers were being stabbed with tiny knives. However, this sensation only lasted a moment or two before it faded into comfortable warmth. Raven opened her violet eyes and turned his hands over again. She smiled when she saw they were back to normal,

"Are you ready for dinner?" she asked, giving him a smile. He returned it with a nod, though felt a pang of pain at seeing the sadness in her beautiful eyes. He led the her back to the bike and swung on, starting it up as she clambered up behind him. He only pulled away after he felt her arms wrapped securely around his waist.

Thirty minutes later Raven sat down across from her silver-haired companion in a small booth. She had put on a happy face and greeted those she had once worked with, only wanting to sit down to some good food and then go the hell home. She sighed and laid her head against the padded back of the booth.

"Are you alright?" Yazoo asked after ordering them both a glass of ice water. He was watching her carefully.

"Yeah. Just tired." She opened her eyes half-way and smiled back at him.

"Do you mind if I go back out to the bike real quick? I left some things there." The silver-haired man asked her softly. She smiled and shook her head,

"Go ahead." She laid her violet-haired head back and closed her eyes again, "I'm just going to rest a bit."

Raven frowned when she didn't hear him leave and after a few silent moments she opened her eyes again. His seat was empty. 'Wow.' He thought 'He can be stealthy when he wants to be.' She smiled and thanked the man who was waiting on them when he brought their drinks. He must have replaced Aelita or herself, seeing as she didn't recognize him. He was very tall, thin, and had a mass of curly brown hair on his head that fell to his shoulders. His dark brown eyes sparkled with mischief.

"You're Raven, right?" he asked, smiling. When she nodded he continued, "My name is Keeon. Everyone talks about what a great woman you are. Hm…you sure are _much_ more beautiful than they all said."

"Thank you." She said calmly, returning his smile.

"So…ah…is that your…boyfriend you're with?" he raised an eyebrow.

"No." she said flatly while thinking, 'Oh God…not now.' She set her jaw as she felt tears building up, "I'm not dating anyone right now. I just…got out of a…relationship."

"Oh, okay." He leaned down to whisper, "I'm sure whoever he was he is suffering now. Any guy would be lucky to be with you." He winked.

Raven closed her eyes and fought back tears. She was _not_ about to cry in front of him.

"Hey." Her eyes flew open at the sound of Yazoo's furious voice. He stood behind Keeon, a small bag in one hand. He looked livid. Keeon turned around to smile at him,

"Hi friend! I was just telling your friend here how great everyone says she is." He grinned at the silver-haired man. Yazoo's eyes flickered to Raven's for a second,

"What else did you say to her?" he whispered angrily.

"Nothing really. Just that her ex must be pretty down cause anyone who gets to be with her is lucky." His smile grew, though his eyes took on a look of malice, "I certainly would hate it if she dumped me." Yazoo's eyes flashed with anger,

"Don't talk to her anymore." He hissed through clenched teeth.

"You can't tell me what to do." The taller man growled, stepping closer. Keeon was a good five inches taller than Yazoo, who was already at least 6'2". Yazoo didn't flinch, or even blink for that matter. He simply glared back with enough hatred and danger burning in his eyes,

"If I see you messing with her again," The silver-haired man sniffed. He pushed passed the taller man roughly to sit down. Keeon had to catch himself on another table to keep from falling down. Yazoo sat down and didn't even look at the waiter as he continued, "you will rue the day you crossed me."

Keeon gaped at him as the silver-haired man took a long drink of water. Raven put her face in her hands and shook her head slowly, back and forth. When she lifted her head again their waiter was gone and Yazoo was watching her quietly. All the anger was gone from his eyes and had been replaced with concern,

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah." She toyed with her glass, "Just…what he said threw me off."

"I understand." He smiled and handed the bag across the table to her, "Here. These are for you."

She took the light purple paper bag from him and gingerly peered inside. She had to poke through the dark violet and black tissue paper to find what was inside. She smiled a little and pulled out a deep violet, almost black, turtle-neck sweater. I was gorgeous and made of the finest material. She pressed it to her cheek, reveling in the feel of the soft cloth against her skin. She turned back to Yazoo, who was now smiling. 'He really is beautiful.' She thought and returned his smile,

"Thank you so much." She said. His smile widened,

"There's more." He added softly. She looked at him curiously and peered back into the bag.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, retrieving the necklace1 from the bottom of the bag. A large onyx hung from the middle in a silver bezel. Several strands of silver chains draped up from the stone to a dark silver bar, one on either side of the necklace. The chains passed through the bars and continued around to the clasp. When she put it on the onyx rested perfectly on the hollow of her throat. Three small chains dangled from the bottom of the gem, the middle one longer than the other two. Raven looked back up at Yazoo, grinning, "It's beautiful!"

"I'm glad you like it. Them." He paused when a woman walked over to the table.

"Hi Raven. Sorry about…Keeon." The short, busty blond blushed.

"It's alright, Mayrie." Raven smiled up at the woman.

"What can I get you two to eat?" the blond asked.

"I'll have the grilled shrimp Caesar." Yazoo replied when Raven indicated for him to order.

"And I'll have the usual." The violet eyed woman asked with a smile, "Thank you Mayrie."

"No problem, doll-face." The older woman grinned at Raven and then winked at Yazoo before leaving.

Fifteen minutes later they got there food. Yazoo was surprised to see a plate on which rested a large cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and red onions before the violet-haired woman. A bag of chips were on the side as well as a pile of even more red onions. She licked her lips before picking up the burger and chomping into it.

"What?" she asked after swallowing.

"Nothing." He chuckled and started eating his salad, "It's just…you're so slim and fit…seeing you eat all that is kinda funny."

"Fast metabolism, I guess." Raven said with a shrug. She looked more curiously at him and nodded to the bag beside her, "Why did you buy me those gifts?"

"Because you needed something nice. Something new." He chewed thoughtfully on some shrimp before adding, with a smile, "Plus, you're part of the family now."

"Thank you, Yazoo…" she whispered, setting her burger down. She looked back up at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. She smiled, "That means so much to me."

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

_Yeeeeeee! How you likey?? Me likey. Me tired and have AP Biology stoof to do. XD R&R, bitte._

_Kitsune_

[1 The description of the necklace is kinda…bad. I was never good at that. But it's my friend's necklace. It's vury pretty and from Hot Topic, so many thanks to her and the store. : P


	9. Chapter 9: Promises

**Chapter Nine**

**Promises**

"It'll just take a few minutes, I promise." Raven informed Yazoo quietly. He nodded,

"That's fine, but I'm coming with you." He whispered back. When she raised an eyebrow he continued, "What if…something happens? Or if they convince you to stay? I want you coming home with me…to us."

She smiled back and nodded, though she knew that nothing any of her friends said could keep her from going back with Yazoo. She crept forwards through the trees a bit and stopped, an idea forming in her mind. Her blue-green eyed companion watched her cautiously,

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing…" she shook her head and continued through the sparse forest, "I thought about just…taking us there with my power, but somebody could be in there. Don't know _why_ they would be, but I don't want to take the chance." She heard him chuckle,

"Well aren't you clever…"

Ten minutes later Raven led him up the side of the house. They both easily scaled the ivy covered wall to a small platform by a second story window. When Yazoo opened his mouth to speak the violet-haired woman waved a hand dismissively. She turned to the window and held her hand out towards it. Black light formed around her thin hand and soon slowly appeared around the lock on the inside of the window. There was a soft click. Raven smiled triumphantly and lifted her hand slowly, the window rising with it.

"You continue to impress and amaze me." Yazoo murmured as he watched her climb gracefully through the open window. When he landed softly in the room he looked around, studying it as his companion rummaged around in various boxes on a dark dresser.

The room was black, immediately letting him know that it was Raven's room. The bed had no head or foot board and the comforter and blankets were black, just like the carpet. There was a deep purple and black loveseat on the opposite wall of the bed. He walked over and sat down on the plush loveseat to wait.

"Ah-ha!" Raven cried triumphantly about three minutes later. She took the small beaded bracelet she had found and slipped it onto her left wrist. Her right hand hovered over it as she whispered, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

"What was that for?" Yazoo asked.

"To keep it safe." She replied as she began to search through another box. "It was a gift from my mother. She said it will always help me. I can't believe I didn't bring it with me when I left. I spelled it so that I am the only one that can remove it and it also will not break."

"Raven, you are incredible." Yazoo chuckled quietly. She smiled back over her shoulder before turning back to her task.

"Found it." She grinned, pulling a silver ring out of one of the many boxes on her dresser. She walked over to Yazoo and plopped down beside him. She held out the ring for him to see. It was thin and large, most likely a mans ring. It was in the shape of a bird, the wings of the bird would wrap around the finger, forming the band,

"It was my father's. It's a raven." She smiled and slipped it onto her right index finger, the beak of the raven facing her fingertip. The eyes of the metal bird were a dark purple, almost black. "It's why they named me Raven. Because of my eyes. My mother got my father this ring when…she had to go."

"Go?"

"Yeah…they worked for Shinra." She said softly. Yazoo stiffened a bit and she continued, "Work called her away and she didn't know if she would be coming back. This was before they were married. They had been dating for a few months. Anyway, when she was leaving she gave the ring to him as a way to say 'I love you and I always will.'. The day my parents were murdered my father gave me this ring. I wasn't sure why at first, but now I'm sure it's because he had a vision of him and Mom…dying."

"Your parents had powers like you?" Yazoo asked. He opened his arms to her when he saw the sadness beginning to wash over her. She sighed and leaned against him, closing her eyes as she laid her head on his chest,

"Yeah." She curled up into a little ball and cuddled closer. "I'm a…mix of the two. My father wasn't as powerful as my mother though. He had visions and could control peoples' emotions. He could also sense them like I do, though with emotions. Hm…I wonder if he had a brother or some relative that was Aelita's father. Anyway, that was mostly all he could do. My mother could do almost everything I could. She controlled things with her mind, could 'teleport' herself and others, form barriers, and sense people like I do; by letting her power fan out around her or in a tendril. Her powers were more developed than mine, but that's just because she had more time to practice with them. Both my mother and father said I would be twice as powerful as her, if not more so, when I was her age."

"That's…interesting." Yazoo murmured as he frowned. 'So her parent's worked for Shinra…' he thought, '…that explains a lot.'. He glanced down at her, "Do you want to rest here for a while?"

"Yes please." She sighed, exhausted. He lifted her up in his arms and walked over to the bed. Balancing her in one arm, he pulled back the covers placed her on the bed. She smiled up at him as he pulled the covers up around her.

"Am I seven again?" she asked drowsily, smiling up at him with eyes half-closed.

"No." he replied. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead, "You just need to be babied sometimes. Sleep well."

"Thank you." She said, waving her hand at the door before closing her eyes. He saw black light form around the edges of the door and smiled as he curled up on the loveseat.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

Cloud ran his fingers through his messy blond hair and frowned in frustration,

"What are they up to?" he asked angrily.

"We don't know." Tifa sighed, "But whatever it is, it can't be good. That Loz character is…strange. Why would he lie about Raven to Reno?"

Cloud shrugged and sat down on the couch next to her. Dawn would be breaking in a few hours. When she leaned her head on his shoulder he rested his cheek on her black fragrant hair. He sighed, wanting to help Raven and Reno, and even Aelita but he didn't know how. She picked up her phone and glanced at the screen, hoping for a text from either of the missing women. She sat up quickly when she saw the missed call icon flashing. She quickly checked the number and cried out in excitement when she saw Aelita's number. She went to her voicemail and played the message from the young girl.

"_Hey Tifa, it's Aelita. Everything is fine, so you can stop worrying and sending me twelve texts a day, ha ha. Don't ask where we are, I won't tell you. You said these men were bad but they aren't. You know I can sense emotions and I feel no hostility in any of them, so just lay off, okay? Kadaj is a very kind man, as are his brothers. We're okay."_ There was a pause and some harsh whispers were heard in the background before they heard her voice again,_ "We're safe and we're happy. I'll come visit some time though, okay? Don't know when, but I will. Later."_

Tifa closed her phone and groaned in frustration. 'They seriously can't believe these men aren't up to something.' She thought, 'I _know_ they're planning something bad.'.

"Oh…well." Cloud muttered. He stood up and held his hand out to Tifa. When she stood he pulled her into a hug and murmured into her hair, "Let's go to bed, alright? We may just have to trust them to come back sometime. There's no use in worrying too much."

Tifa nodded and trudged up the stairs of her house. She walked past Raven's old room and contemplated entering but then changed her mind. 'Raven wouldn't like that.' She thought, and continued on to her own bedroom. As she and Cloud drifted off to sleep, neither realized that Raven and Yazoo were just a couple yards away from them.

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When Raven woke she was very warm. Nightmares of Reno and Yuffie, as well as Yazoo plagued the first half of her sleep. Somewhere in the night, however, they had stopped and switched to pleasant dreams about her new found 'family'. As she lay in her old bed, eyes still closed, she realized someone was laying with her. She was laying on her side and somebody's right arm was draped over her waist, holding her tight to their chest, and their right arm was under her neck, wrapped around to rest on her shoulder as they spooned her body. She lifted her head a little and turned to glance behind her to see a bit of silver hair. She smiled and wondered why and when Yazoo had joined her. Not caring, she cuddled back closer, enjoying the warmth and odd fragrance coming from the man behind her. A few minutes later she felt him stir and knew he was awake,

"How'd you sleep?" she murmured over her shoulder.

"Well." He whispered his reply, "You?"

"I had several nightmares at first, but then they went away." She sighed, "Not that I mind, but when and why did you lay down with me?" He was silent for a while.

"Because," he said softly. She felt her hair move, tickling the back of her neck, and heard him inhale lightly, "I woke up and you where…upset. Shivering and jerking around a bit, obviously having bad dreams because you cried out occasionally. I just…had this feeling that if someone was with you it would be better. And a few minutes after I laid down you grew still."

"Thank you. That was very kind." They laid in silence for a few more minutes. Yazoo eventually cleared his throat and spoke,

"I think we should go home now."

"Alright." She replied as he slipped out of bed, though he didn't want to. She smiled ironically at his last statement, seeing as this house had been her home for two years. She shivered at the small wave of cold that washed over her after he left.

"No, come here." She said as he walked to the window. He came back to stand in front of her as she waved a hand at the door, the faintly glowing black light disappeared. She held out her hands and he placed his in hers, smiling. She closed her eyes,

"This may feel odd to you." She warned before promising, "But don't worry, I'm here and I won't let you go."

She closed her violet eyes and concentrated on the power deep in her core. She let part of it loose and a dark pool of it appeared beneath their feet. Slowly, the black grew up around them and began to spin. It closed over their heads in a dome and everything went black.

Immediately Yazoo felt deathly cold and frightened. He couldn't see or feel anything besides the warmth of Raven's hands. He felt claustrophobic and his fear grew as the darkness engulfed him. Somehow he knew that if he were to let go of Raven's hands he would be lost forever. He closed his eyes and breathed in and out deeply, only to cough at the sudden cold entering his lungs. He felt Raven release one of his hands and he began to panic. Then, almost as quickly as it started, the cold was gone and he felt solid earth slam into his feet. He stumbled forward a bit and opened his eyes as Raven caught him, allowing him to lean on her for a while to regain his strength.

"That was bizarre." He croaked, looking around. They were on the edge of the forest that led to the forgotten city, his bike was beside Raven, who rested a hand gently on it.

"Blah…" she said, stumbling when he released her, "That took more out of me than I thought it would."

"Well, I'll hold you as we drive back so you don't fall off." He said, glad to be out of wherever they had been. He quickly mounted his bike and leaned back to allow the violet-eyed woman to sit down in front of him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and sped off into the forest.

Twenty minutes later Yazoo pulled around the front of their home and parked in the back. He walked Raven back to her room, wanting to see her reaction. When she opened the door she gasped,

"Yazoo! Somebody painted it…and got new stuff!" she walked around the room, gaping at her new décor.

"Yeah. I asked Kadaj, Aelita and Loz to fix it up while we were gone." His smile turned to a grimace and he added, "Of course now I owe them big time and Loz will always hold it over me…but you're worth it." He smiled again at the last part. She turned back to him and laughed,

"Thank you so much!" she ran over and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, "Why did you though?"

"Because," he answered when she pulled back to peer up at him, her arms still around him, "You said you couldn't sleep well at night because it was too dark."

"Oh…" she blushed, "You are too good to me."

"I'll always be here for you, Raven." He promised, "I'll always have your back and watch out for you."

"Thank you so much, you're such a great friend." She hugged him again. In her happiness Raven let her power wash out over the building. She felt Loz in a room down the hall sleeping and then Kadaj and Aelita above them-

"OH MY!" she cried out, pulling her power back in.

"What? What is it?" Yazoo looked at her blushing even more.

"Um…Kadaj and…Aelita are um…" her face turned even redder, "Doing…it."

"Doing what?" he asked, blinking.

"Oh God…you're so innocent." She said, shaking her head, "They're making love….having…sex."

"Oh." Yazoo said quietly. Then he laughed loudly, "Of course, my younger brother loses his virginity before me or Loz…at least I think Loz is a virgin."

"Um…okay." Raven said, her face bright red. She turned and went over to her bed and sat down on the crisp new black comforter and sheets, embarrassed that she had just felt them.

"Are…you?" Yazoo asked, walking over and sitting beside her.

"A what, a virgin?" she asked. When he nodded she answered with a grimace, "Sadly, no."

"Why do you say 'sadly'?"

"Because…I should have waited." She grimaced. "I gave it up to the man I thought I would spend the rest of my life with and now…now I know I won't."

"Oh…" he murmured as he realized she was talking about Reno.

"But it's okay, I guess." She continued. "I mean, how does one learn but through mistakes?"

"Mmhm." He watched her yawn, "You should get some more rest."

"Yeah, probably." She muttered. She stripped off her jacket and kicked off her boots before crawling under the covers. Yazoo stood to leave.

"Yazoo?" she asked drowsily.

"Yeah?" He turned back to her and smiled.

"Will you stay with me tonight…" she asked softly, "I don't…want the nightmares to come back."

"Of course." He pulled off his leather shirt-coat and crawled in beside her, then added in a whisper, "I'll stay for as long as you want."

"Promise?" she murmured as he pulled her against his chest.

"Promise." He sighed. With that, they drifted off to sleep.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

"Hey Tifa, it's Aelita." The brunette breathed into her phone. She lay under the light silver sheets next to Kadaj. His head rested on her bare chest as he inhaled her scent, "Everything is fine, so you can stop worrying and sending me twelve texts a day, ha ha. Don't ask where we are, I won't tell you. You said these men were bad but they aren't. You know I can sense emotions and I feel no hostility in any of them, so just lay off, okay? Kadaj is a very kind man, as are his brothers. We're okay."

"Hmmhmm…" Kadaj whispered and chuckled, "We're _much_ better than okay."

"St-stop it Kadaj!" Aelita hissed, holding the phone away from them. She couldn't think straight, only gasp as he ran a finger down her breast-bone to the soft flesh a few inches below her navel. She grabbed his hand and shot an evil look at him, "Let me finish first!"

"Fine." Her muttered, pouting. Just to get on her nerves he nuzzled her breast. She slapped him on his silver-haired head to get him to stop.

"We're safe and we're happy." She continued into the phone, "I'll come visit some time though, okay? Don't know when, but I will. Later."

She hung up the phone and glared at Kadaj,

"You're terrible."

"That's not what you said a few minutes ago." He pointed out with a sly grin. She rolled her eyes. He suddenly frowned,

"Hey, Aelita love…" he asked as he stroked the inside of her forearm lightly, "What happens if…you…have a…"

"That won't happen." She said, already knowing what he was thinking. "I…for some reason I can't get pregnant. They don't think I ever will be able to. Some mutation in my uterus or whatever."

"Oh…" Kadaj held her closer, "Who's 'they'?"

"Doctors."

"Aelita..." the young man turned to face her, "Will you stay with me? As long as you are happy?"

"Of course." she murmured, kissing the top of his head, "I promise."

"Excellent." he sighed happily and laid his head back down. After a while he spoke again, "You're _sure_ you can't get pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Ah…" they were both silent as they held each other. Kadaj smiled wickedly,

"Well in that case…"

Aelita giggled as she pulled him closer.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

_Yay me! I finished this instead of my work for English class. :P You guys should love me. XD Juuuuuuust kiddin. Hope you're liking it so far._

_Kitsune_


	10. Chapter 10: Love and Realizations

**Chapter Ten**

**Love and Realizations**

Raven yawned happily when she woke up after a full night's sleep that had been void of all nightmares. It took her a while to figure out what she was laying on though, and blushed when she realized her head was resting comfortably on Yazoo's bare chest. She laid at a slight angle to him, her left arm laying lightly over his waist. Her other arm was tucked under his shoulder, her hand in his hair. His own arms wrapped gently around her waist, holding her close. Her left leg was situated between his. She marveled at the sound of his heart beating and the feeling of lifting up and down slightly as he breathed. She almost giggled when he sighed deeply, raising her way up and then back down.

She sighed shortly after him, happy in the growing brightness as the sun shone through the small window next to the wardrobe. She heard Yazoo mumble in his sleep and his right hand rubbed her back lightly before trailing up and playing with her hair. His breathing wasn't deep and even anymore. 'He must be awake.' She thought. Raven didn't say anything though; she was entirely too comfortable to move. She made her breathing even to make it seem as if she was sleeping. It became difficult to concentrate on it though; he had started to massage the back of her skull very gently. Involuntarily, she let out a little moan of pleasure as he increased the pressure, moving his fingers lightly through her hair,

"That feels wonderful…" she murmured and gave him a small hug.

"Good." He whispered back and pushed a little harder to make it a real head massage. For another twenty minutes the two lay quiet; Yazoo massaging the violet-eyed woman's head and Raven tracing the muscles of his stomach, barely touching the skin at all. She smiled when the muscles would clench and goosebumps rippled across his arms. They both jumped when there was a loud knock at the door. Raven sat up reluctantly and stretched,

"Yeah?" she called and smothered a yawn. Loz opened the door,

"Have you seen—oh!" he looked in surprise at the two in bed, a suggestive grin spreading across his face, "There you are, brother. I apologize…was I interrupting something?"

Raven said no at the exact same time that Yazoo said yes. She shot him a look.

"Well, my young _lovers_…shall I leave you to your business?" Loz winked at them. Raven rolled her eyes and got out of bed. Yazoo didn't move,

"Nothing happened you idiot. Raven hasn't been sleeping well." He said calmly, though his voice had an edge to it.

"Yeah…it just helps me a bit to have someone with me." Raven said with a shrug as she grabbed a towel and walked to the bathroom.

"I'll stay with her a night or two." Loz declared after the violet-haired woman had disappeared into the bathroom for a shower. He grinned wickedly.

"NO Loz." Yazoo said firmly and slipped out of the bed, "YOU need to stay away from her…pervert."

"Whatever." Loz shrugged, then looked at his brother suspiciously, "You sound as if you actually care about her. Have you forgotten our plan? Your mission, my brother?"

'Damn.' Yazoo thought and faltered for a moment. He _had_ forgotten about their stupid plan. He scowled, 'Damn damn damn damn.'

"Oh-ho-ho!" Loz laughed, "You _did_ forget, didn't you?"

"I did _not_. I'm just…playing my part really well." The younger man said softly, pushing past his brother as he began to worry about his feelings and thoughts.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

Aelita danced down the stairs after Kadaj in a state of bliss. Last night had been the best night of her life. Her companion shook his head at her, smiling when she kissed him on his cheek,

"I'm going to go find Raven, kay?" she grinned up at him.

"Yeah, sure." He gave her a one armed hug, "Ah…um…take care."

She nodded and then left him to go to Raven's room. Nobody answered when she knocked so she just went right in. She sat down on the unmade bed to wait for her friend to get out of the shower.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" the brunette asked when the other woman exited the bathroom about ten minutes later. Her happiness grew when she felt the violet-eyed woman's own glee. 'I'll have to ask her what happened later.' She decided.

"Yes! That would be great. You can tell me…what you've been up to the past day or two." Raven raised an eyebrow at her friend suggestively.

Aelita blushed. 'Does she know about Kadaj and me?' she wondered. She shook her head, not really caring when she thought about it,

"Let's go then." She got up and quickly made the bed while Raven pulled her black sleeveless coat over a purple turtle neck. Aelita watched her as she clasped on an elegant black necklace.

"Where'd you get those?" she asked as they walked down the front steps after telling the brothers where they were going.

"Yazoo got them for me…when we were in Edge." Raven answered softly, touching the necklace fondly.

"Ooooh! I think he _likes _you." The younger girl squealed in delight.

"Naw." Raven said waving a hand at her. Then she looked at her companion sideways, "Ya think?"

"Yes, I do." Aelita replied. "Remember, I can sense emotions? It's not…obvious, but I think he's fighting his feelings for you. Why was he in your room this morning? I felt both him and Loz, but the lunk-head wasn't there for long, was he? And did I not feel Yazoo in your bed?

"I-ah…" Raven blushed as she processed all of her friend's questiongs, "He was in my room because he slept with me. Not like that though, he just spent the night with me. Loz came in the morning looking for him and stayed for only there for a minute or two. Yazoo was stayed with me last night because when someone sleeps next to me I can sleep all night and don't have nightmares. I'm not sure if it works with everyone, but with him it works."

"Oh wow this is exciting." Aelita grinned, "Your falling for him, aren't you?"

"I don't know…it's too soon to tell. Maybe I am." Raven wrapped her arm around the small girl's shoulder as the strolled through the glowing trees, "So…are you going to tell me about _your_ night, hm?"

"OH! It was-! Nice." She cleared her throat.

"Aelita. I know. I accidentally…felt you…with my power."

"Oh…"

"Just be careful." The violet-haired woman said, "Do you love him?"

"I…I'm not sure. I think I'm falling in love with him, but I'm not sure." she replied thoughtfully, "I want to try to love him…with all my heart. Heh…all I know is last night was _wonderful._" Aelita smiled and blushed as she remembered how passionate, yet gentle Kadaj had been with her and how he had held her close when they had finished. 'He's so perfect…' she thought, blushing more.

"Good." Raven gave her a quick hug, "I hope he's the right one for you."

"Me too." Aelita grinned. She turned to her friend questioningly, "Hey, Rae, do you think that you will--"

"Hush." Raven cut her off, holding up her hand. She could sense someone approaching them, "Somebody is coming."

"Hm…" Aelita closed her eyes, "He's…not happy. Angry, actually."

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Raven muttered and turned to her friend seriously. "Go back home and get the guys. I'll probably need help. I feel a fight brewing."

"What?!" she cried, "No way, I'm staying here with you!"

"NO." the older woman said sternly, "You don't even have your katanas with you. You need to--"

"Hello, ladies." They both turned towards the deep voice to identify the speaker.

"Oh God…" Raven whispered. Aelita faltered when she felt unrestrained fear wash over her friend.

"Raven…what is it?" Aelita said softly as her friend stepped forward between her and the man. Aelita glanced at him again to take in his appearance.

He was very tall and had long silver hair that fell almost to his knees. He wore leather pants and boots and a his black leather coat was only buckled with one clasp near his waist, leaving his trim torso exposed. Silver armor-like caps covered his shoulders and an extremely long sword hung from his waist. Despite his intimidating nature, he was handsome.

"Get out of here." She heard Raven hiss. She glanced at her friend again to see her tugging a ring off her right index finger. She thrust it backwards at the brunette, never taking her eyes off the man,

"Take this and give it to Yazoo. He'll know what it means. Don't you _dare_ lose it. Go get all three of them and tell them to come help me. I'll be fine for a good while so take your time getting everything together. Make sure you are prepared."

Aelita took the ring and glanced at it, confused. It was a bird.

"Raven I--"

"JUST GO!" Raven screamed and threw up a huge wall-like barrier as the man shot a beam of sparkling teal substance at them. It crashed against her shield. Aelita nodded and turned to go,

"We'll be back soon." And then she ran through the woods. 'I wonder what this ring is for…' she wondered. She had seen Raven wear it a lot when they had worked together at _The Angel's Wings_, but never asked who it was from or what its significance was. She yelped and ran faster as something exploded behind her.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

Raven flinched as he shot another attack at her, this time the blue forming a large orb before smashing against her shield. 'I have to get him out of here.' She thought.

"Aw…you let her leave…" the man murmured, frowning. He walked towards her slowly, tilting his head to the side. "That's unfortunate. Though you are a better prize than her. When I saw both of you I was _so_ happy. But I'll get her later, after I'm finished with you."

"Doubt it." Raven hissed, watching him through her flickering shield. 'Why does he look _so damn familiar._' She wondered. She knew he was the man from her visions, but she felt as if she knew him,

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Ah…" the man shook his head and tutted her, "Even _you_ don't remember me, little Raven? I certainly remember you…yes."

She stood confused as he shot an angry look at her. She was sure she had never met this man before in her life. The only time she had seen him was in her visions, which was bad enough.

"Let me see if I can trigger your memory." He continued as he chuckled, "My name is Sephiroth. I worked with your parents for Mr. Shinra."

'Sephiroth…' she thought, 'That definitely sounds familiar.' She remained silent, however, and just glared angrily at him.

"Hm. I see you still can't remember. No matter," He grinned, "I will wait for your friends to return to tell you what happened so you all know, and then I will take you and your little brunette friend."

"That won't happen." Raven said calmly, "You actually think I would let them near you?"

"Oh?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and looked impressed, "You lied to her? Pity. You should have let her stay."

"Shut the hell up!" Raven screamed and released her power as she pictured the dessert hundreds of miles away from her new home.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

Yazoo stood up, concerned, when he saw Aelita crashing through the woods towards them looking frightened. He had already been worried when two small explosions had gone off further in the forest. Now he worried even more to see the breathless Aelita come to a stop in front of him and his brothers. Alone.

"Where's Raven?" He asked, gripping her by the shoulders. He forced her to look into his eyes. What he saw did not lift his spirits.

"She's back there." Aelita gasped, "A man attacked us, she sent me back to get my stuff and you guys. She said she could hold him off for a good while to give us time to prepare. Hurry up and follow me."

Loz and Kadaj leapt up and began to run up the stairs, Yazoo following.

"OH! Yazoo!" Aelita grabbed his arm. His brothers stopped to watch as the girl pulled something out of a hidden pocket in her belt and pressed it into the man's gloved hand. "She told me to give this to you…and that you would know what it means."

"Oh…no…" Yazoo whispered when he saw the violet-eyed woman's raven ring in his hand.

"What? What is it?" Aelita whispered back. Kadaj and Loz watched him carefully as he took off the glove of his right hand and slipped the small silver raven onto his ring finger. It fit perfectly.

"She's not coming back." He choked out. 'She loves me….' He thought, 'She loves me and she's not coming back.' And then an enormous explosion of black light flashed over the forest in the distance as Yazoo's heart broke.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

Hot wind whipped through Raven's short hair and she stumbled to the side, trying to shake off the fatigue that washed over her. Slowly, she straightened to glare at Sephiroth as he took his time rising to his feet.

"That was impressive, my dear." He said softly and brushed the dust and dirt off his coat. "You must have transported us hundreds of miles away."

Raven didn't stop to take in their surroundings; all she knew was that it was hot, bright, and that she had won. Her friends, and Yazoo, were safe. She crouched into a fighting stance, ready to die before going anywhere with him.

"Oh no no _no_, Raven." He said sauntering towards her, "That will not do. I can't have you _fighting_ me. I need you to fight _for_ me. I need your help. Just like I did over two years ago."

Raven blinked in confusion.

"Yes, Raven, you remember your parents' death, as well as the death of your half-sister's family, and all the other idiots that worked for Mr. Shinra." He smiled warmly at her, but his eyes were cold.

"I don't have a sister." Raven hissed, her voice barely audible.

"Oh? But you do." His smile grew, "I guess your father never told you about his other child."

"He doesn't have another child!" she snapped. Though as he spoke thoughts ran through her mind, but she refused to believe any of them.

"Oh, yes. Yes he does. You see, Rufus Shinra took your parents when they were very young and implanted special genes in them, which gave them their powers. They were made for each other, you see. He wanted to see what their offspring would be like. Now, yes, your mother loved your father with all her heart, but he was just infatuated with her. He fell in love with another woman…and two years after you were born he and this other woman had a love child. I believe you know her. She was with you just a few moments ago."

"No." Raven closed her eyes and shook her head. "My parents had a solid marriage."

"Shut up, child." He growled, "You know nothing. Why else would dear Aelita have powers almost exactly like your fathers?"

Raven scowled at him even though she knew it was true.

"You killed my parents…and hers, didn't you?" she asked softly.

"Yes…because of what they did. Because they worked for that idiot Rufus Shinra. So I killed them. I wasn't going to kill you though..." he smiled wickedly at her, "I wanted to, and still want to…reproduce. Our children will be…perfect."

"WHAT?!" Raven screeched, dumbfounded.

"Yes. But sadly, you had to go all berserk on me." He waved a hand dismissively. "I tried to use my own power, with the help of materia, to contain _your_ power, like I did with your parents and Aelita's, but it didn't work."

Raven's eyes widened as she remembered seeing her parents dead with glowing bands around their wrists, ankles and heads. She also remembered seeing those same bands around her own limbs in several of her visions. She fought down the fear that was boiling up inside her chest.

"Yes…I threw those restraints on you but you were so angry…" as he spoke memories began to run through Raven's mind. He smirked and continued to talk, "Your anger gives you power…you broke through my restraints and then…exploded. Not literally, of course, but your power did. You nearly destroyed me."

Raven stared at him in shock as she remembered. She had just turned seventeen when Sephiroth had killed her parents. She went after him, tracking him with her powers and was going to kill him when she found him. Of course, he was much stronger than she thought and the battle lasted a good while. Eventually, he threw a glowing blue-green orb at her that split up into five rings that attached to her limbs and forehead. She had become so furious that she was irrational. And, for the first time ever, she had let go of her power and held none of it back. It had erupted from inside her and blown out in a flashing dome around her and surrounded the city and everything for miles around.

"You even made everyone forget about me…truly fascinating." He smiled and advanced quickly. She stiffened, preparing to throw up a shield,

"But I've learned." He continued, "I've improved."

The violet-eyed woman produced a shield as Sephiroth slung an orb of light at her. She cried out when it slammed into her shield and shattered it. Just like two years ago, it split up into five rings. They rapped around her ankles, wrists, and one around her forehead. She concentrated, prepared to break through them again. She heard Sephiroth laugh and then pain shot through her whole body. She screamed and fell down onto the dessert earth. The last thing she saw before blacking out from pain was Sephiroth's grinning face.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

_How you likey? More to come soon. _

_Kitsune_


	11. Chapter 11: Pain

**Chapter Eleven**

**Pain**

Yazoo sank to his knees as the sound and light of the explosion faded away. Fear, pain and grief gripped him heart, body, and soul.

"Raven!" Aelita screamed. She turned away from the forest to face her lover,

"Come on we have to go _now_!" she yelled, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Alright, just let me grab Souba." Kadaj replied and he turned to enter their home.

"Don't bother." Yazoo whispered as he stared at the ring on his hand.

"Wha-what?" Aelita stammered, "Why do you say that? Don't you _care_ about her?"

"Yes…I care." He murmured and stroked the ring with his left index finger, "I care very much."

"But?" Loz asked.

"She's gone."

"Oh…God…you don't mean…" Aelita gulped, "…_dead_, do you?"

"No. She just…transported, or teleported, or whatever it's called." Yazoo didn't know how he knew that, but he was sure she had done just that, "She probably took him with her."

"Why the hell would she do that?" Kadaj snapped.

"To protect us." Aelita answered, her eyes wide. "She told me to…to come back to you guys…but she also said that we should help her. Why would she--"

"She lied, Aelita." Yazoo said softly as he rose to his feet, "She knew all along that she was going to get that creep away from us."

"How do you know?" Loz sneered.

"The ring." Was all he said before he turned and made his way in the direction of Raven's last display of power.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

Raven groaned as she came to. She bit back a cry as pain shot through her when she lifted her head. Just like in one of her visions, she hung from a wall, her arms above her. She cursed and fought against her bindings. And then she realized how…empty she felt. She reached for her power deep in her core and felt…nothing. Hyperventilating, Raven thrashed against her bonds. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed. Several times in her life she had wondered what it would be like to just be normal. To have no powers. And now that she knew she wanted them back.

As she cried as comforting warmth became present on her left wrist. She glanced up to see her mother's bracelet glowing dully.

"Mother…?" she whispered. She coughed after speaking and realized her throat was raw. 'I must have screamed…' she thought. The door clicked heavily as it was unlocked and she turned to see who was coming. Her previous vision flashed before her eyes.

"Yazoo?" she croaked, wanting nothing more than to see him.

The door opened and Sephiroth entered. Hatred burned through Raven's body as he walked over to stand before her.

"Hello, my darling." He murmured and smiled at her, eyes sparkling. "How are you today?"

"How long have I been out?" she asked softly, her voice dripping with disdain.

"About five days." He smirked. Raven closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If she had been standing she probably would have fallen over. 'Does that mean they aren't going to come for me?' she thought sadly.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"For what?" she snapped.

"For me." He smiled and spread out his hands. Raven's heart sank and she felt nauseated as Sephiroth waved his hands and she fell from the wall. He caught her easily and walked out the door. She was too weak to resist.

"Get ready for a most pleasurable and…painful experience, my dear." He murmured and leaned down to brush his lips across her brow, avoiding the blue band. Raven closed her eyes again and swallowed, wishing she could be anywhere but in his arms.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

Yazoo stared blankly at the 'battle grounds'. Raven had blown a small clearing in the trees that was in the shape of a perfect circle. Piles of debris stretched across the middle of the clearing. She was nowhere in site.

"He couldn't have walked off with her…" Aelita muttered to herself. She turned to her companions "I would feel them…and I don't. One second they were here and the next they were gone. Ugh…the hatred and fear here is almost tangible. Makes me want to vomit."

Yazoo ignored her as she chattered nervously next to Kadaj. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his little brother swiftly draw her into a hug and kiss her on the forehead. He turned away and studied the debris. They way it laid looked almost…deliberate.

"Hey, Kadaj." He said softly, "Does this not look…like it was done on purpose?"

Kadaj walked over to stand next to his brother. He nodded slowly after staring at the destroyed trees and earth for a while.

"Loz." He said. The older man walked over to hear his youngest brother's command, "Go up in a tree and see how this looks from above."

Loz nodded and ran over to a tree. He used his strange power to leap and run quickly up the glowing white tree, looking like a blue streak. He stood near the top of one of the largest trees around the clearing and frowned down at them. After a while he called to his brothers,

"It spells something!"

"What is it?" Yazoo yelled back, feeling panic grow in his chest.

"Seph-sephiroth." The large man hollered back down.

"Sephiroth…" Kadaj murmured. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

"Unh." Loz grunted as he landed next to them. He stood and brushed himself off, "What's a sephiroth?"

"I don't know…" Yazoo whispered, deep in thought. 'I've heard that before…what is it?' he thought.

"It's not a what, but a who." Aelita announced as she walked over to stand beside Kadaj.

"Huh?" her lover asked, looking at her with a frown.

"The man." She said slowly as it came to her. "The man who came for us. It's his name."

"How do you know?" Kadaj demanded.

"I…am not 100 sure how…I just do." She frowned. "He looked so familiar…and the name sounds familiar too. I swear I know him…but…I don't know."

"Come on…" Kadaj said after a while and took Aelita's hand. He began to lead her and Loz over to the edge of the clearing, "Standing around here won't help her. We need a plan."

"Raven…" Yazoo whispered and kissed the ring, "How will I find you?"

"Hey!" Loz yelled over his shoulder, "Hurry up, brother!"

Yazoo nodded and followed quietly, trying to figure out how to find Raven.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

"Oompf." Raven turned her head to the side so as not to suffocate in the soft pillow. Her fright had peeked when Sephiroth brought her into a dark bedroom and threw her face-first onto a bed with blood-red colored blankets and pillow cases. Fresh tears fell from her eyes and began to soak into the sheets beneath her face.

"Sit up." she heard him command in his honey-rich voice. Raven ignored him. 'I will never do what he wants.' She thought defiantly. His face suddenly appeared in her line of sight when he knelt beside the bed with a sigh,

"Raven. Don't be difficult, please." He reached out and brushed her hair out of her face, "Despite what you may think, I don't want to hurt you."

"Too late." She growled, unable to stop herself, and then leapt at him with a swing of her fist. 'I may not have my powers,' she thought, 'but I sure as hell am a martial artist.' Her plans were quickly foiled when Sephiroth stood swiftly and stepped out of the way, causing the weakened violet-eyed woman to tumble off the bed. She flipped over and landed crouched on her feet. She glared up at him.

"Oh…that's too bad." He murmured while shaking his head. "You're way too weak. And you should never have tried to attack me."

His blue-green eyes flashed with anger and his right hand began to glow. He smiled down at her wickedly. When she sprang forward in another attack Sephiroth narrowed his eyes and clenched his hand into a fist. Pain erupted throughout Raven's body, originating at her wrists, ankles, and forehead. She screamed and crumpled on the cold floor.

Sephiroth waited for her to stop screaming and writhing before squatting down beside her,

"Now. Are you going to listen to me now?" he asked softly.

Raven could only reply with a whimper as the throbbing pain slowly faded away.

"I'll take that as a yes." Her captor decided with a sniff before picking her up and placing her more gently on the bed. She sat up without having to be told.

"Very good!" Sephiroth exclaimed, pleased. "You are learning already."

Raven shot him a dirty look.

"Now…" he continued thoughtfully, ignoring her dirty and hateful looks. He walked around to the foot of the bed, never taking his eyes off of her, "Hm…take off your clothes."

Raven gaped at him for a few seconds, before stammering,

"I most certainly _will not_." She hissed at him. His hand began to glow and he glared down at her. Raven set her jaw and returned his angry look.

"Too bad." He murmured. She flinched when his glowing hand formed a fist and the silver-haired man grinned at her reaction. She felt pricks of pain, almost like electricity, around the areas of her bonds. She closed her eyes. 'How am I supposed to get through this alive?' she thought wearily. She felt the warmth from her bracelet on her wrist again. And then she felt it. A small flare of her power deep in the core of her chest. She quickly made up her mind, realizing it would be better to take whatever Sephiroth planned without a fight. He would probably like her to scream and fight so he could cause her more pain. She knew what she had to do.

She opened her eyes and looked her silver-haired captor, so similar and yet so different from the man she now knew she loved. Slowly, so she wouldn't fall over, Raven rose to her knees and began to unlace her over-coat. Her hate-filled eyes never left Sephiroth's own intrigued ones. She chucked her coat at him and scowled to let him know she wasn't doing this happily. He caught the coat and threw it to the side in one swift movement. The violet-haired woman couldn't help herself, so she slowly took off her boots, wanting to torture him. She heard him growl in frustration as she set them down beside the bed. She faltered after that, though, not sure if she should take off her shirt or pants next. Sephiroth, however, decided that for her.

"Take off your shirt. Now." He snarled as he took off his odd armor-covered coat and then kicked off his boots. Raven slowly obliged, deftly taking off her necklace as she did so. When she leaned over to put the shirt with her boots she slipped the necklace into one of the boots. When she sat back up and looked at him again his eyes were filled with lust. 'This is not going to end well…' she thought, wishing she would have chosen to fight instead. She grimaced inwardly, 'At least I may have died that way.'

"Very nice." Sephiroth murmured as he looked over her upper body hungrily. He looked her in the eyes again and raised an eyebrow, "I believe you know what's next."

Raven sighed and slipped off the bed, wishing for once in her life that she had her period. She practically ripped off her pants, wanting to be as unattractive as possible. When she was finally in only her undergarments she placed her fists on her hips and glared at him.

"Get in the bed." He whispered huskily as his eyes trailed over her toned, yet voluptuous body. Raven closed her eyes and, with a deep breath, crawled onto the large bed. 'Oh he _thinks_ I'll cooperate.' She thought grimly as he continued to watch her thoughtfully, 'He will rue the day he crossed me.' She sat down in the center of the soft bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin in the small crevice between her knees to watch him.

"Now…" Sephiroth said, clearing his throat after a few more moments of silence, "I think it is time for us to begin."

Raven thanked God that she could hide her fear so well as Sephiroth crawled towards her from the foot of the bed, a wicked grin playing across his mouth.

ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ ξ

Yazoo rolled Raven's ring between his thumb and forefinger as he stared at the light-blue walls of his bedroom. It had been a week since the violet-eyed woman had disappeared, and that had not helped to settle his nerves. He looked down at the ring again to study it, though it was already burned into his memory. He saw it, along with Raven, in all his dreams now. He hated and loved it. A knock at the door pulled him partially from his thoughts,

"Yeah?" he called softly, still staring at the ring between his fingers. 'If something happens to her…' he didn't want to finish the thought.

"Yazoo?" Came Aelita's voice from the door, "Can I come in?"

"Um…yeah…" he said, now completely torn from his thoughts. He watched her enter his room and close the door silently behind her. He had been expecting one of his brothers, since it was a little difficult to find his room. Aelita walked over and settled herself beside him on his bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she looked at him curiously.

"About what?" he asked softly. He slowly slipped the ring back onto his finger before looking at her again. She was smiling sadly,

"I know this is tearing you up." she whispered, "Remember? I can sense emotions. Before…this…you hid your love for very well, but now you aren't controlling your emotions at all."

"I…" he trailed off.

"It usually helps to talk. And I won't say anything to Kadaj or Loz." She placed a comforting hand on his knee. He stared at the floor for several minutes before breaking the silence.

"I just…wish I would have accepted it and told her…before she…left." He said softly.

"Accepted what?" she asked, even though she already knew. Yazoo closed his eyes and prepared himself to say it aloud,

"That I'm falling in love with her." He said so softly that she barely heard him. Aelita waited for him to continue. He breathed heavily before speaking again, "I should have told her. When I woke up the other morning after spending the night with her…I just…was so comfortable. She felt so perfect in my arms. When we went to bed we weren't all that close. We were laying on our sides, her back to my chest. And when I woke up…she was almost on top of me and it felt right. She woke up when I was playing with her hair and she said it felt good." He closed his eyes and smiled sadly as he remembered. That morning had been bliss for him,

"And for fifteen or twenty minutes we just laid there together. I gave her a massage on the back of her head and she…stroked my stomach. It felt wonderful. I never wanted it to stop. I think I realized right then that I was…falling in love with her. I should have told her then…I think I would have if that idiot Loz hadn't interrupted us."

"Yazoo." Aelita said and gave him a sisterly hug, "We'll get her back. And when we do you should tell her."

"I will." He whispered, hugging her back. She felt so different than Raven and he didn't like that, "It's painful waiting though…we need to go get her quickly. And I have an idea."

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Raven prepared herself to attack. The entire time Sephiroth had been kissing and nibbling her neck she had been limp and thought only of escape. She felt his hand play with the lining of her underwear and she gritted her teeth. He sat up and looked down at her lustfully as he ran his fingers along her thighs,

"Oh Raven…I want you." He murmured. And then she attacked him.

Sephiroth grunted when her knee connected with the side of his head. He fell towards the side of the bed and was about to sit back up when the heel of her foot slammed into his jaw. He tumbled off the bed and slammed into the wall. Raven didn't wait to see if she had knocked him unconscious, all she cared about was the door. She ran to it and threw it open, not even pausing before sprinting down the cold metal halls.

Raven's breath came short as her feet slapped lightly on the dull metal floor. She was surprised that she had met no guards or people yet. She was grateful for the adrenaline that coursed through her body and gave her the strength and stamina to run on. She wished she had more of her power so she could figure out how to get out of her prison. All she could do, however, was run blindly through the complex and take random turns.

'Oh no.' she thought when the skin around her bonds began to tingle. As she ran faster the tingles slowly faded away. 'Interesting.' She thought. 'Maybe there is a range on these things. If I get far enough away, maybe Sephiroth won't be able to hurt me.' She turned a corner and cursed as the hall ended at a single door. She ran to it and pulled frantically on the handle, swearing loudly when it wouldn't budge. She cried out in fear as the tingling began again and quickly elevated to intense stabs of pain. She released the door-knob and began to claw at the bands on her wrists as the pain began to spread through her body. Suddenly, the pain flared and she crumpled to the floor as tears flowed down her face. 'I will _not scream_.' She thought defiantly, though it was extremely difficult.

"That was stupid." She heard Sephiroth say as he approached her, "Did you really think you could get away from me?"

Raven's response was a whimper when he lifted her into his arms surprisingly gently. The pain slowly began to leave her weak body and by the time they were back in the bedroom it had completely faded away, though her wrists and ankles were gone and she was getting a migraine.

"I can't have that happening again." Sephiroth muttered to himself and somehow attached each wrist and ankle to a post of the bed after removing the rest of her clothes.

"Sephiroth…" she whispered his name for the first time. He glanced up into her tear-stained face. She gave him her most pleading look, "Please don't do this."

"Sorry, love." He murmured and kissed her breast bone. She bit back a whimper. He looked back up at her and smiled sadly, "This has to be done. I need a child. You will be a good mother."

Raven grimaced when he brushed his lips over hers. She closed her eyes when she felt him at her entrance. 'Thank you mother…' she thought as she released the little bit of power she got from the bracelet and protected herself. 'At least I won't get pregnant.' Sephiroth continued to kiss her neck and chest before entering, causing the violet-haired young woman to start hyperventilating. Being raped had always been a nightmare of hers, and that nightmare was about to come to life. She felt Sephiroth tense up and she braced herself, ready for the pain. She knew he was not going to be gentle with her.

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_Muahahaha! So, what do you peoples think? I likes it. Chapter 12 will be up soon. Reviews please!_

_Kitsune_

_PS. Sephiroth is 30._


	12. Chapter 12: Death

**Chapter Twelve**

**Death**

Raven tasted blood in her mouth. She had bitten down on her lip so hard that the skin had broken and it now bled freely. It was her way of stopping the screams. She had decided not to give Sephiroth the pleasure of hearing her screams of protest. The last thing the violet-haired woman wanted was to give her captor reasons to torment her more. It was difficult though, not to scream, that is. It hurt. A lot. It had been a long time since Raven had sex, so she was very tight, and apparently Sephiroth was very…large. She hadn't looked. Didn't want to. Wasn't going to. All she did was close her eyes tight and bite her bottom lip while digging her fingernails into her sweating palms. It helped to distract her from the pain of the large man thrusting in and out of her. Sephiroth suddenly brushed his lips against hers and then paused,

"Why are you bleeding?" he asked breathlessly. Raven kept her eyes closed and jerked her head back and forth. She suppressed a moan of pain when he thrust against her, much harder than he had been,

"Answer me, Raven" he hissed in her ear as his left hand played with one of her breasts. Tears began to stream down her face again, though she had thought they were all used up,

"I will not give you the pleasure of hearing me scream." She whispered hoarsely in his ear. And then she bit him. Hard. Sephiroth howled in pain and surprise. He jerked his top half back and glared down at her, his right hand flying to his ear which was now bleeding. Raven scowled at him and spat in his face. He growled and backhanded her,

"Don't. You. Ever. Do. That. Again." He practically yelled in her ear as he emphasized each word with a painful thrust up and into her. Raven bit back a whimper and closed her eyes again. 'Surely he has to be finished soon…' she thought, hoping as he put his lips back to her neck and continued to rape her. His bites and nibbles became stronger and more intense along with his thrusts. Despite her situation, Raven was relieved; he was reaching his climax. Sure enough, no more than half a minute later he moaned loudly in her ear and she felt his seed released into her. She said a silent prayer, thankful that she had that tiny bit of power left to protect herself. She inhaled quickly when he slid slowly out of her, causing more pain. He collapsed on the bed beside her and sighed. She grimaced.

"That was pleasant." Sephiroth whispered and laid his head on her chest, letting his right arm drape over her bare stomach. Raven resisted the urge to snap back with a retort. Insulting him now would not help her situation at all. So she just closed her eyes and pretended she was somewhere else. With Yazoo.

Raven actually smiled.

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Tifa set down the man's beer with a smile and accepted his money with a thank you. As she was putting the money in the register she heard the door open and glanced up. She did a double-take and froze. Kadaj and his gang had just walked into _7__th__ Heaven_. She walked out from behind the bar and stalked over to the young man,

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"We…um." Kadaj looked off to the side.

"We need your help." Yazoo said, stepping forward. "We need to talk to you and your friends when you have the time."

"Why?" Tifa asked slowly and narrowed her eyes.

"It's about Raven." He said softly.

"Wha-what?" Tifa looked around and behind the men, "Where is she? What happened? Did you hurt her?!"

"No." Yazoo said firmly. He placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and she flinched, "Just calm down, please. We will explain everything later, I promise, but now isn't the time and this isn't the place. It should be somewhat private."

"Alright…um…I can call someone in to cover for me," Tifa said nodding. 'I'll do anything to help Raven.' She thought as she led Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz behind the bar and told them, "Go down the hall, up the stairs, and into the first door on the left. Wait for me to join you in a few minutes."

The brothers nodded and went through the door as Tifa picked up the phone and dialed a friend's number, asked him to come in to cover for her, then waited. Ten minutes later he arrived and with a nod Tifa went back to meet the men.

"Right now I just want you to tell me what's going on. Then I'll decide whether or not to call in the rest of my…people." The dark haired woman said when she entered the room, looking into each of the men's eyes in turn. They nodded back and were silent for a moment. Kadaj nudged his older brother. Yazoo stood and cleared his throat,

"Raven is gone." Tifa looked confused. He looked at her sadly, "A man attacked her and Aelita in the forest near our home. Raven sent Aelita back and then transported them away from us. She hasn't come back so…I fear the worst. Actually, I _know_ he took her. Don't ask how or why, I just know it."

"Wait, wait." The black haired woman interrupted, holding up a hand. She was very confused, "Transported? What are you talking about?"

"Oh. Shit." Yazoo closed his eyes. "I forgot she didn't tell you…"

"Tell me what?!" Tifa practically screamed. 'If he doesn't tell me what's going on _really_ soon I'm going to kick his ass.' She thought and scowled at him.

"Brother." Kadaj said softly, "You have to tell her. Raven will understand. We can't explain everything _without_ telling her."

"I know…" Yazoo whispered, "I just hope she will forgive me."

He then went on to explain why and when Raven met him, about her powers, and how she had been living with them and called their home her home. He also explained all they knew about her disappearance. After he told her Tifa slumped into one of the chairs across the table from them.

"I have to call the others…" she whispered. She slowly pulled out her cell phone and dialed Cloud's number.

"Hey baby…" she said into the phone when he picked up, "I need you to gather everyone and come to the meeting room…there are some things you should know."

"Thank you." Yazoo whispered after she hung up. Tifa looked at him curiously, 'He sounds close to tears…' she thought, awed.

"Why do you care so much?" she asked, somewhat sharply. "I thought you guys were nothing but evil?"

"I…" Yazoo stopped short and looked away. Tifa could see his face turning red.

"Oh just say it you idiot." Loz snapped, "Kadaj, Aelita and I already figured it out and if Raven doesn't know it already than she's an idiot too."

"Shut up Loz." Yazoo said to his older brother, though there was no hardness to his voice. He turned back to Tifa, slightly flushed, "I…guess I love her. I feel empty without her. This past week and a half I've been a wreck knowing she is with that man…Sephiroth."

Tifa was glad she was sitting because if she hadn't she might have fallen over. 'He _loves_ her??' she thought. She eyed him suspiciously to see if he was lying. All she could tell was that the lovely man with long silver hair looked extremely tired and sad. His eyes had that empty look that people get after crying a lot or right after a mother or sibling dies. 'God…he really does…' she thought, awestruck.

Ten minutes later a loud knock on the door interrupted the awkward silence that had fallen over the men and woman after Yazoo's last proclamation. Tifa jumped up when Cloud entered and ran over to him to get a hug.

"What's wrong?" he whispered in her ear as the rest of the group entered the room, not getting too far because they froze upon seeing the silver-haired men seated at the table.

"You'll know soon enough." She sighed and pulled back. She led Cloud by a hand to her seat. She collapsed into it, her blond beau beside her. Slowly, the others followed suit.

"What are _they_ doing here?" Reno snapped, eyeing the men suspiciously.

"We need your help." Yazoo said softly, once again standing. He looked each of the people around the table in the eye, "I propose a truce, for now at lease, so we can work together to…save Raven."

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Raven stared down at the cold metal floor. She didn't even jump when she heard the lock on the door to her chamber rattle. She had given up long ago. After two weeks of seeing Sephiroth come in through that door she hated it. 'They aren't coming…' a voice in her head told her, more than once, '…Just give in to him and it will get better.'. Of course, another, smaller voice, her stubborn intelligence probably, told her to never give up. It was hard though. She closed her eyes when the door opened,

"Please Sephiroth…" she whispered, "You just had me a few hours ago…" When she opens her eyes, however, she gasps.

"Raven!" Yazoo called and ran over to her, leaving Loz and Kadaj by the door to keep watch.

"Yazoo, get out of here!" she said back, "It's not safe here."

"Hey!" they both turned to look at Loz, "There is no way we are leaving here without you, so shut up." He winked at her.

"He's right." Yazoo whispered. Raven turned back to look into his eyes, "I couldn't leave you here if my life depended on it…"

"Just like my vision…" Raven murmured, tears of joy beginning to trickle down her cheeks. Yazoo didn't ask what she meant, just knelt before her to study the bonds on her ankles. When he stood he was frowning. He walked back to his brothers and Raven immediately began to panic,

"Yazoo!" she screamed. He stopped at the door and turned back to her, shocked. She whimpered, "Don't leave me…"

"Raven…" he murmured and hurried back to her side. He placed his gloved hand on her cheek and she flinched. She closed her eyes and laid her cheek against his hand. She felt his warm breath against her neck, "I will not leave you. I'm getting you out of here. I--"

"HEY! You found her!" came an exclamation from the door. They both turned to see Aelita and…Reno.

"What are you doing here?" Raven asked dumbly as her half-sister and ex-boyfriend walked over to her. Yazoo stepped back so Aelita could inspect the bands on the violet-eyed woman's ankles and wrists. Reno stood a few feet back and stared at the ground as he shuffled his feet,

"We came to help you." He muttered.

"We?" she asked weakly.

"Yup." The red-head looked up at her and smiled, "The whole gang is here. Your ah…friend here came to ask us for help." He jerked his head in Yazoo's direction. Raven's mouth formed an 'O'. She couldn't imagine her new family and old one working together. She flinched when something pinched her ankle.

"Got it!" Aelita cried triumphantly as one of Raven's ankles came free of the wall. She smiled up at the older woman before bending over again to work on the other ankle.

"Where's Sephiroth?" Raven asked shakily. She was deathly afraid for her friends.

"Sleeping." Reno said simply. "Rude drugged him."

Raven's eyes widened in awe as she felt her other ankle click free. They dangled just a bit above the floor, putting all her weight on her wrists, causing her to grimace. Aelita waved her hand back at Reno and he walked over to kneel beside her. Raven almost smiled when the small girl clambered up on the red-head's shoulders and he stood. The small brunette swayed a bit before steadying herself. Reno moved to the wall so Aelita could stoop and work on Raven's wrists. Five minutes later Aelita was finishing up on the last binding. Yazoo had slipped an arm under her legs and one behind her back so all her weight wasn't on one wrist. When the band snapped away from the wall the violet-haired woman fell lightly into Yazoo's arms. He smiled down at her and walked to the door, the other too following after Aelita had dropped from Reno's shoulders.

They were hurrying down the hall when Reno's cell phone rang. He quickly brought it to his ear,

"Shit." He hissed after hanging up and ran faster, "He's waking up."

"What about the others?" Raven squirmed in Yazoo's arms as she began to panic, "I will not have my friends hurt because of me!"

"I'll go back and make sure they get out safe." Loz said quietly as he slowed to a stop. He adjusted Dual Hound a bit and smiled up at them, "You guys go ahead and get Raven out of here. I'll catch up with the others."

They all nodded slowly and he turned to go. Raven suddenly remembered one of her other visions and began to freak out,

"NO!" she screamed as she struggled in Yazoo's arms until he set her on her feet. She stumbled towards Loz, "Don't go! He'll kill you!"

"Thanks, doll-face." Loz said with a wink. He gave her a tight, one-armed hug when she reached him, "I can take care of myself though. And when I get back, we can start over. I've been a jerk. I'll see you all later." And with that he took off in a run. Raven sank slowly to her knees and stared after him,

"No you won't…" she whispered. Yazoo came over and knelt beside her,

"Raven, Loz will be fine. He is strong, fast, and able to take care of himself." He said softly as he rubbed her back.

"Not this time." Raven said bitterly and shook her head. Adrenaline began to pump through her, giving her strength. 'I have to save him.' She thought. She stood swiftly and started to walk after Loz. Yazoo grabbed her arm but she shot him a death look. He released her.

"Thank you for freeing me, but I have to go prevent something." She said calmly. She could feel the anger burning deep inside of her, "Get out of here now. I will be shortly behind you with Loz. Don't tell me to come with you…I won't. I'm not going to let him die. If I don't try to save him, then he _will_ die, understand?"

Everyone but Yazoo nodded slowly, frightened by her sudden rage. Yazoo just gazed at her sadly,

"Is there anything I can say to make you come with me?" he whispered. Raven thought she could see tears in his eyes. She turned away from him, knowing that he, if anyone, would be able to make her change her mind. She wouldn't allow that. Not now, at least.

"No." she said after taking a deep breath. 

"But Raven," He started, reaching out to her, "I can't…I--"

"Yazoo." She said sharply, her back still to him. "We'll talk about this later. Right now you have to leave. I'll be with you soon." And then she walked away before either of them could say something she would regret. She knew he cared deeply for her, maybe even loved her. Part of her hoped that was true and the other part didn't. It complicated things. If either of them had admitted feelings for the other then, her leaving and perhaps getting hurt could have made things much more difficult. And so Raven went off to confront her captor and try to save Loz.

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Raven knew exactly where to find them. Barrett had explained how to get there and she was sure it was the room from her vision. Loz had indeed done as he said and had gotten all her friends but himself away from Sephiroth. Now all she had to do was get _him_ away from Sephiroth and to safety. 'This should be fun.' She thought and grimaced at the door. She heard sounds of battle coming from within and quickly pushed it open. It was indeed the same room from her vision. It was large, the size of a warehouse. Though, it was empty. It was nothing but a large metal room with a high ceiling. In the center Loz was battling Sephiroth.

"Stop it!" she screamed and approached the men as nausea swept over her. She _had_ to stop the vision from coming to pass, "SEPHIROTH STOP!"

The older man glared at her and paused, resting his blade on the floor,

"Hello, Raven love." He smiled at her, sending chills of fear down her spine.

"Don't call her that." Loz growled as he prepared to attack again.

"Loz!" Raven yelled, "It's not worth it just _go_!"

"Not a chance." Loz grinned at her before leaping out of the way of Sephiroth's attack. Raven wanted nothing more than her powers right then. She tried. She tried very hard to feel her power, to bring it out, but she couldn't. She sank to her knees as tears began to leak out of her eyes,

"Sephiroth…please stop." She whispered, somehow knowing he could here her, "I'll do anything if you let him leave unharmed."

Sephiroth glanced at her for a second, but ignored her pleas. He spun quickly and slashed at Loz. He grunted as he blocked the silver-haired man's attack. Dual Hound sparked on his left arm several times as he gripped the handle.

"Loz!" Raven screamed as tears fall down her cheeks, "Please just leave! I'm not worth your life!"

"Are you kidding?" he yelled over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off his attacker so he could continue to block attacks, "I've never seen my brother so happy as when you are around. Despite how he looks and acts, Yazoo is a delicate man. I will fight for that, for him, and for you."

"Aw…" the older, silver-haired man cooed cruelly, "Isn't that touching?" He smirked at Loz before attacking again. Raven cried out as Loz acquired more and more cuts and wounds from the other man's shockingly long sword. Suddenly, Sephiroth laughed and spun around and slashed at Loz's arm, knocking off his weapon.

"Shi—ARGH!" Loz cried as the man stabbed him through the stomach.

"NO! LOZ!" Raven screamed between sobs. She rushed forward as the murderer withdraws his weapon and steps back,

"Loz! Loz can you hear me?" she cried, cupping his face in her hands. When he didn't respond she whimpered, "Don't leave me…"

"I-I'm sorry…Rae…" he whispered, coughing up blood, "Don't you die or anything…Yazoo would…hate that."

Raven nodded. Tears dripped off her cheeks and splash onto his,

"Please Loz…" she choked out, "You can't die. Not when we were just starting to get along."

"Raven…" he coughed, ignoring her last plea, "He loves you…you know…fight for him…and…yourself…"

Raven stared down at Loz as his eyes grew distant. She cried silently as she reached up and gently closed his eyes. Sephiroth chuckled softly beside her. 'Too much…' she thought, 'Too much pain…I can't deal with this.' Raven took a deep breath as she stood up. She stared into Sephiroth's eyes, showing him all her hatred for him. And then she died.

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_Sorry I don't have more to post now. :P I got distracted over the weekend with making videos for Youtube. XD Muahaha. Anyway, do I have to add another disclaimer? I know I put one on the first chapter, buuut just to be safe…_I do not own FFVII AC or any of its characters. Square Enix _(Or however you spell it…)_ does. I also do not own Raven. The people who made Teen Titans do. The end. _Lawl, does that work? Anyway, more to come soon. I'm tired and hungry and probably have AP Biology homework. Woot. Later peoples._

_Kitsune_

_PS. Ignore massive typos please. That or tell me about them so I can fix 'em. Thanks!_


	13. Chapter 13: Awakening

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Awakening**

Yazoo's heart clenched and his breathing came short as he, his brother, and their companions hid in the brush and trees, watching the metal building that was practically hidden in the tangle of jungle. They had been waiting for over thirty minutes.

"Where--" Yazoo's voice was tight and cracked. He cleared his throat, "Where are they? What's taking so long?"

"Be. Patient." Kadaj hissed, becoming annoyed with his older brother. It was the fourth time he had asked that in the time they had been crouched in the forest. "They will come when they are good and ready."

Yazoo sighed and sat back on his heels. He had a horrible feeling in the gut of his stomach. Something wasn't right. About twenty minutes ago he had felt something. Not Raven's power, but something like that. It flowed through him and after it left it felt like someone had ripped his heart out. He shifted uncomfortably, causing his long silver hair to fall forward around his face like a curtain. He, along with everyone else, looked up when they heard a door slam.

"Oh…God…" Kadaj gripped his brother's arm in horror as they strained to see who was coming out onto a barely visible balcony on the upper levels of the cold, metal building that had been built into the mountain.

Sephiroth walked slowly out onto the balcony with Loz in his arms, and though they couldn't see his face, they could hear the large, older man laugh as he walked to the end and dangled the eldest brother over the edge of the railing. Sephiroth turned slowly to look over the whole forest before calling out,

"You have failed, and now you have lost one of your own. Do _not_ try that again or I will punish Raven. And I don't want to do that. Leave us alone." His voice carried over to the group of men and women easily. Shivers traveled down all of their spines at his words and haunting voice. Nausea washed over Yazoo as he watched Sephiroth drop his brother off the edge of the building. He landed three stories down with a sickening thud. Yazoo heard someone vomit behind him but didn't turn to see. He couldn't take his eyes off of his brother's limp and lifeless body. 'Please don't let him be dead.' He thought desperately, though somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he was. He saw Kadaj begin to move out of the corner of his eye.

"Wait." He said softly, grabbing his younger brother's arm to hold him back, "We should wait for dark. Sephiroth probably wants us to…go get him now so he could attack us."

"But…" Kadaj stared up at him, eyes shining. His voice came out as a choked whisper, "He could be alive…"

Yazoo didn't answer. He just gazed down sadly at his brother before pulling him into a comforting hug. When he released him, the younger man turned away, hiding his face. Aelita appeared beside him and put an arm around him as she whispered into his ear. Yazoo watched his brother cuddle against the young girl. It hurt him more to see his brother with someone who loved him. He instantly regretted the jealous thought and turned away, scowling. He would give anything to have Raven with him right then.

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"Get up, woman." Sephiroth growled when he entered the room. Raven stood without looking at him. She just stared down at the puddle of Loz's blood at her feet. She was numb. Numb all over. She hardly even thought except for the essentials of following Sephiroth's orders.

"Come here." Her captor commanded. She did. When she stopped in front of him, he took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. She saw shock flit across his face for a split second. She blinked. His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, "What have you done to yourself?"

Raven didn't answer. She just stared up at him with her large, violet eyes.

"What?" Sephiroth asked as he took her hand and led her from the warehouse-like room, "No anger? No 'I hate you'? What have you done, my love?"

The purple-haired woman still didn't respond. She walked along calmly beside him, staring straight ahead while allowing him to lead her down the twisting hallway. Sephiroth frowned,

"If you do not talk, my dear, I will have to punish you." He glanced over at her when he stopped outside a door and placed his hand on the knob. Raven didn't turn to meet his gaze. She waited silently for him to open the door and get it over with. Sephiroth pushed the door open with a 'Hmph', and pulled her inside. He released her hand and shut the door, watching her carefully and wondering what she would do. Raven didn't turn to watch him or try to run. She walked over to the large bed and sat down on the bed. She looked up at him, waiting. Sephiroth shifted uncomfortably,

"I'll be back for you later." He said, opening the door again, "I have some things to do. Stay here."

Raven nodded and curled up on the bed, her back to him. He stared at her for a moment, curious and a little freaked out by her change of attitude. He shrugged and exited the room, locking the door behind him.

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Yazoo fought back tears and looked around the small gathering of people instead of at his brother, who lay wrapped in materia-protected sheets at the bottom of a deep hole. They had waited three hours to go retrieve Loz's body and still had to escape attacks from strange monsters Sephiroth sent after them. Raven's old friends; Tifa, Cloud, Reno, Yuffie, Cid, Barrett and, much to Yazoo's dismay, Vincent. He still hated the vampire, though Raven said he was a harmless friend of hers. However, the now eldest brother was touched that they would come to Loz's 'funeral'. Tifa had gladly come, saying that any fried of Raven's was her friend and that the large man had given his life to try to save the violet-haired woman. Yazoo respected the pale, dark-haired woman for that.

Yazoo turned away from the group and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. Kadaj had taken Loz's death very hard. Much worse than any of them had expected. The young man's face was stained with tears and he stared quietly down into the grave, Aelita standing strong by his side. Yazoo smiled weakly and left them around the make-shift grave to do…whatever it was they would do. Yazoo no longer wanted a part in it. 'Sephiroth will pay for this.' He thought angrily as he stalked into his room. He strapped on his holster and shoved Velvet Nightmare home. He hadn't told Kadaj or Aelita where he was going, though he was sure they had guessed. No more mister nice guy. Yazoo was sick and tired of waiting around for his younger brother to make a decision. Normally he wouldn't go against Kadaj's word, but this was different. Sephiroth had crossed the line. Twice. And Yazoo planned to put a stop to it.

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Raven curled up into a little ball beside Sephiroth on the large bed. The entire time he'd had his way with her she hadn't said one thing. Hadn't cried once. Hadn't struggled. She had just laid there and let the large man do what he wanted. He was now collapsed on the bed next to her, snoring peacefully. She still had enough sense to protect herself every time he raped her, but that was just about the only effort she put forth. For anything. He tried to feed her and she refused. She didn't even feel hunger anymore. Not cold either. She felt nothing. She stared at her clothes crumpled on the floor next to her boots. The necklace Yazoo had given her so long ago was shoved into one of the shoes, protecting it. Once again, her saving the necklace was the one of the only actions she took that required energy. She continued to stare at the boots, not thinking about the necklace. Not thinking of anything. Especially not Yazoo. At least, that's what she told herself.

The door opened silently but the light shone on the wall she was facing, revealing a figure standing with their hand on the door knob. Raven didn't move while the person hurried silently over to the side of the bed. She still didn't move, didn't even blink, when Yazoo knelt before her looking horrified,

"Raven." He whispered. He reached out and touched her cheek. She blinked. Yazoo withdrew his hand and whispered, searching her face, "My God, he's broken you."

Raven's eyes flicked to his for a second but then became distant and unfocused. She didn't protest when he picked up a discarded sheet off the floor and gently wrapped it around her. When he picked her up and began to leave she did protest. He set her down and she stopped wriggling. He watched as she stumbled over to her boots and pulled something out, though he couldn't see what. He walked back over as Raven curled up again next to her boots. He picked her up again and walked to the door, hesitating for a brief second as he contemplated trying to kill Sephiroth. He scowled and left, not wanting to risk losing Raven for a third time.

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Raven clutched the necklace to her bare chest under the sheet. She stared up past Yazoo's face at the trees whizzing by above her. She didn't know how long they had been driving. Didn't care either. Yazoo glanced down into her blank face and his own expression crumpled into grief. He slowed and pulled over into the forest through which the path cut. He swiftly dismounted with Raven in his arms and walked a bit farther into the trees. He sat down against one of the large, dark oaks and held the woman in his lap,

"Raven…I need to tell you something." He murmured. She didn't look at him. He gently took her cheek in his hand and turned her to face him. A flicker of something, maybe recognition, crossed her eyes. But then it was gone. "I need to tell you, now. Before anything else happens."

Raven stared up at him, clearly listening, but appeared not to care what he was saying. He sighed, more sad than frustrated. He stroked her cheek gently,

"I lied to you Raven. My brothers…brother…and I aren't what we seem. I was supposed to seduce you so you would trust us…" he gulped and couldn't believe he was telling her this, "…because…Kadaj…and me and Loz…wanted to…well. Take over the cities and maybe even the world."

Something flashed in her eyes. Yazoo thought it was anger and he smiled. At least she was showing emotions.

"But…" he continued and stopped stroking her cheek to cup it in his hand, "I didn't expect…certain things to happen. I didn't expect to actually fall in love with you. When Sephiroth, curse him to hell, took you, it felt like my life was over. I don't care about Kadaj's stupid plan anymore. I care about you. And I--"

In one fluid movement Raven was out of his lap and five feet away from him. She clutched the sheet around her modestly and stared down at him. Countless emotions washed over her face. Yazoo didn't know if he should be relieved or frightened. He decided on a mix of both.

"What did you say?" the violet-eyed woman asked softly. She gazed down at him as her emotions were once again covered with a mask of indifference. However, Yazoo could see the spark of life in her eyes which had been gone only moments before.

"That we planned on using you…" he replied, wincing at his own words. "I know that sounds bad but…gosh, I don't know what else to say."

"Not that." Raven said with a sigh, rolling her eyes. She walked back over to him slowly and knelt beside him, "You said…you said you didn't expect to fall in love with me."

She said it more like a question than a statement. Yazoo smiled. She was unsure of his feelings. He wasn't.

"Yes." He smiled down at her, wanting so badly to reach out and pull her into an embrace, "I am in love with you, Raven."

"Yazoo…" Raven whispered and turned a bit to sit beside him so she could lay her head on his shoulder. She wrapped the sheet around her more tightly. The silver haired man tentatively wrapped his arm around her small shoulders.

"Wait, wait…" he said, confused, "You aren't mad at me?"

Raven leaned back a bit and blinked up at him a couple times. A few tears trickled down her pale cheeks and she laughed, "For what? Loving me?"

"No." the silver-haired man replied almost angrily, "I said we had meant to use you. For _bad things_, Raven."

Her smile faded and she tilted her head to the side, studying him as she lifted a hand and ran her index finger down his cheek from his temple to his chin, "No. I'm not angry about that. Not angry at all. I know you, Yazoo. More than you think. I can feel people with my power. You and Kadaj are good men. So was Loz. You were just…misguided, at first. You thought you were evil and wanted to rule or whatever, but deep down you didn't. You just needed something to show you that. And I guess that was me, for you, and Aelita for Kadaj. I wouldn't have stayed with you or told you about my past and powers if I hadn't trusted you and known how good of a man you are."

Yazoo watched her carefully. He was very aware of her finger that had never left his chin, which was now stroking his bottom lip, barely touching it. "Raven…" he whispered, barely moving his lips so she wouldn't pull her hand back. "What do…what are your feelings for me?"

Her hand slipped down to his chest and she smiled at him, "I've been confused with love a lot in my past. When I was with Reno, I loved him. I didn't know if it was true, everlasting love or not. That's why people date, I guess. But while I was with Reno I also loved someone else. Vincent."

"What?" Yazoo choked out after wincing at the vampire's name. "How could you--"

"Hush." Raven said softly, "I don't know why I loved him, but I did."

"Did?"

"Yes. Yazoo, you made me forget about them…not completely, but how I felt about them." She laid her hand gently against his cheek and gazed intently into his eyes, "I don't think of Reno or Vincent anymore. All I think of is you. Your face and voice haunts my dreams…in a good way, though. Since meeting you my life has gotten so much better."

Yazoo smiled warmly down at her. When she returned his smile, he leaned down to kiss her. Right before their lips made contact, images flashed before Raven's eyes; Sephiroth crushing her beneath him as he thrust painfully in and out of her, him kissing her roughly and slapping her, as well as groping and hitting her. Raven flinched back at the sight of the images of Sephiroth, and once again was up and out of Yazoo's reach in a flash. He looked hurt. The violet-haired woman closed her eyes and counted to ten.

"Raven…" she heard him say. He sounded as if he was in pain, "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to frighten you…"

Raven sighed. She _had_ been frightened. 'Damn you, Sephiroth.' She thought. "It's alright." She said aloud, though softly, "As you may have guessed, Sephiroth…raped me at least once a day. It may take me awhile to get used to…men. It's not your fault."

She opened her eyes and almost jumped back when she realized that Yazoo had stood and was now only a half a foot away from her. His response to what she said was a slow nod. He sighed and reached out to barely touch her wrist,

"What are we going to do about these?" he asked, referring to the strange bands. "Will he be able to find you?"

"We'll figure it out later. And I don't think he'll find me anytime soon. It seems these have a…range on them or something." She muttered and closed her eyes tiredly, "Can we go home?"

"Of course." He smiled sadly, masking the anger that burned in his chest.

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Raven gasped for air as she jerked up in bed. She suppressed a sob and covered her face with her hands. 'Just like last night…' she thought, dismayed. It was her second night back home, but she hadn't been able to sleep well. Nightmares of Sephiroth clouded her mind, his laughter and face haunted her dreams. She shuddered and slipped out of bed, grabbing the silver robe that was draped over the foot of the bed as she headed for the door.

She scowled at what she wore; a silky, golden nightgown that fell to her ankles and was held up with spaghetti straps. She shoved her arms through the sleeves of the silver robe, made of the same silky material. Both articles were pretty much the only clothes in the wardrobe of her room that she could sleep in. The gown was comfortable, but she hated the colors. She touched the necklace Yazoo had given her and smiled, happy that she had been able to save it.

She headed down the hall to the left of her bedroom and passed through the large, open front room of their home. She wasn't sure where she was going, just had an instinct to follow. Hidden behind a twisting pillar was an almost hidden door. She pushed through, relieved it was unlocked. The hallway immediately began to slope downwards and curve to the left, seeming almost to head underground and beneath the strange structure that served as her home. The bands on her wrists, ankles and forehead glowed dimly, allowing her to see a bit ahead of her.

"Well." She muttered sarcastically to herself, "At least these are good for _something_." A few minutes later she came to a dead end. She stared blankly for a moment and put her hand against the wall of the dead end. She smiled and felt around for a moment. When she found the handle she turned it and pushed the door open.

She was in a bedroom. The cold stone of the hall was replaced with black, soft carpet. The walls of the large room were a lovely, cerulean blue that almost made her want to go swimming. There was a white couch with blue pillows on the left side of the room in front of which rested a glass coffee table. In the far left corner was a door, probably for a bathroom. On the right side of the room against the wall was a large canopy bed with white and blue hangings, blankets and pillows. In the bed, sleeping peacefully, was Yazoo.

Raven was surprised to see him and wondered why she had come down here, let alone find the place. It was obviously supposed to be an invitation only room. Regardless, she silently closed the door and padded over to the bed. She stopped at the side and peered down at Yazoo's still form. She smiled warmly down at the beautiful man. The blankets covered his body, just below his navel, while the rest of him was out in the open…as well as bare. Raven remembered what seemed like so long ago that she had woken up in his arms, against his naked chest. She longed for that feeling again, but at the same time a tiny voice in her head told her to run. Silver haired men were a big no-no.

She ignored the voice and studied his face, frowning when she realized he looked unhappy. His hair was strewn out around his head as if he had been tossing in his sleep a bit. A crease in his brow gave off the feeling that something frustrated him and the corners of his soft lips were pulled down in a slight frown or pout. He looked extremely vulnerable…and adorable. The violet-eyed woman reached out to touch his cheek.

There wasn't even time for her to gasp as his right arm snapped across his body, grabbing her wrist as his left seemed to produce Velvet Nightmare out of thin air and point it at her throat. Raven froze and gazed down at him calmly. At least now she could handle a threatening situation even more calmly than before. 'I'll have to thank good ol' Sephiroth for that one.' She thought dryly.

It took Yazoo a few breathless moments of blinking to realize what had happened. "Oh." He gasped, instantly releasing her, "I'm sorry Raven."

"It's alright." She replied softly with a smile, "It's my fault for sneaking up on you."

"Heh…you're damn good at it." He replied, stifling a yawn as he sat up, "Not that it matters. You're the one person that is welcome here anytime."

"Thank you." Raven bowed slightly with a smile.

"Um…what _are_ you doing here?" he asked drowsily, then quickly added, "Not to be rude. I don't mind at all."

Raven looked down guiltily and shuffled her feet, "I haven't been able to get more that an hour of sleep at night…bad dreams. I think that's why…whatever it was, brought me down here." Yazoo raised an eyebrow inquisitively. The young woman shrugged,

"I just followed some instinct and I ended up here."

"Ah. Well, if you think it will help, and that you will be okay, you can stay here with me." Yazoo smiled up at her. She returned it and nodded gratefully,

"Screw Sephiroth." She said firmly and slipped off her robe, suddenly very aware of how the silky material clung to her every curve. She also noted that Yazoo noticed it too; his eyes quickly slid down and back up her figure. She blushed, "I'm not going to let what he did ruin my life."

"Good for you." Yazoo replied warmly and scooted over. "That golden color is great on you. It brings out your hair and eyes and makes your skin seem…I don't know how to explain it. Shimmery, maybe. It almost looks like you're glittering. You are completely stunning. More so than usual, that is."

Raven froze in embarrassment, already seated on the bed and preparing to slip under the soft blue and white blankets, "Th-thank you."

"It's only the truth." He said softly, smiling lovingly at her as she finished getting into the bed and cuddled down under the sheets and comforter. She looked up at him, still sitting, with large violet eyes. She looked so fragile to him. Indeed, she had lost weight during the time Sephiroth held her. Too much weight. He sighed and laid down next to her, turning on his left side to face her. She mirrored him.

"Thank you, Yazoo." She whispered. "For everything. You are so good to me…too good to me."

"Not good enough." He said sadly as he reached out to stroke her cheek, "If I had been better you would never have been taken by Sephiroth."

Raven reached up and placed her hand over his, forcing it to stay on her cool cheek, "No." she said sternly, looking him in the eye, "You _are_ good to me. It wasn't your fault that he took me. I pretty much gave myself over to keep you and the others safe. Both times."

He studied her silently, wanting to argue but knowing she was stubborn and would argue back till hell froze over. "Okay." He smiled, his eyes falling to the necklace. "You're wearing the necklace…"

Raven smiled back at him, "I love it. It means a lot to me. I hope to never be separated from it."

"I'm glad you like it. Anything that makes you happy, makes me happy." he whispered and she blushed again, "Now you need sleep. Good night, and don't worry; I'll be here with you."

Raven nodded and watched him close his eyes. She slowly inhaled and then exhaled before leaning closer to him. Green-blue cat eyes met hers when she was only centimeters away from him. Their eyes locked,

"Yazoo. I want to say this now before anything else happens. Just say it in its most blunt form." She kissed him lightly, never breaking eye-contact, "I love you."

"I love you too, Raven." Yazoo whispered back before gently taking her in his arms to kiss her.

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_Blarby! Sorry this took a while to get posted. I pretty much had it done and then realized what I had written was bogus, so I erased like…half of it and had to start that portion over from scratch. Senior Project and other homework hasn't helped either. :P Anywho, I will work on the next chapter and get it posted asap. Thanks for any reviews and support. Lerv ya!_

_Kitsune_


	14. Chapter 14: The Power of Love

_**Sorry this took so long to get up…I've been struggling with writer's block. A really bad case. :( Plus I have a really stupid project to do for English (over Christmas break, how retarded is that?) and I found this awesome series by Laurell K. Hamilton that I'm a wee bit obsessed with. So if this chapter sucks, I'm sorry. I tried my best with it, but when I am not in a writing mood I just can't write well. I tried my best though. **_

**Chapter Fourteen**

**The Power of Love**

Raven woke to sharp pains in her wrists, ankles, and forehead. She frowned and glanced over at her left wrist, which rested lightly on Yazoo's bare shoulder. Carefully, she lifted her head from where she laid, nestled against the silver-haired man's right shoulder. Violet eyes studied the glowing band encircling her wrist. It glowed brighter than it ever had. For a brief moment Raven began to panic, thinking Sephiroth would burst through the door any second. But then she felt it, bubbling deep in her chest. Power. The bands were fighting it.

Raven thought about waking Yazoo to see what he thought it meant, but decided against it when she turned her gaze to his face. She smiled. He looked so peaceful, so happy. A small, beautiful smile played across his full, perfect lips. She wanted to kiss them, but refrained. With a contented sigh, she laid her head back down and cuddled closer. A few minutes later she felt Yazoo's left arm tighten around her waist, pulling her even closer. His right hand moved up her arm as he trailed long, delicate fingers across her fair skin, causing goosebumps to ripple over her flesh. Raven's eyes were closed, but she felt him pause when his fingers reached the band on her wrist he rubbed it with a finger and made a 'humph' sound. She opened her eyes and lifted her head to meet his green-blue gaze with her own purple one.

"What?" she asked softly, smiling at him. His warm breath smelled surprisingly sweet.

"It's warm." He murmured and stroked the band again, his eyes never leaving hers.

Raven frowned and sat up to study her wrists. Yazoo pulled her between his legs, almost in his lap. He wrapped both arms around her thin waist and laid his chin on her shoulder.

The violet-haired woman leaned back into his embrace as she gingerly touched one of the bands. Her eyes widened, "It _is_ warm! I wonder why…"

"I dunno…" Yazoo muttered. Raven frowned as she concentrated on her re-surfacing power. The bands flickered brighter when she grabbed her power and focused on Yazoo's boot, which rested next to the couch across the room. She prepared to murmur her magical words but was immediately distracted when the man behind her began to nuzzle the side of her throat. She let out a small gasp as he began to cover the soft skin of her neck with light kisses. She closed her violet eyes and leaned her head back on his shoulder, exposing more of her throat to the soft, warm lips that teased her.

"Yazoo…" Raven murmured happily.

"Hmm?" was his reply as he nipped lightly at her neck and his fingers trailed across her stomach, enjoying the feel of the silky, satin nightgown.

"I…nnh…" the violet-haired woman gave up; when he was kissing her neck she couldn't form a coherent thought, let alone a complete sentence. So she let him kiss and nibble her neck awhile longer. Only when she could stand it no longer, Raven twisted in his arms, forcing Yazoo to halt the kisses and cradle her against him like a child. She smiled at him and leaned up for a kiss. He bent slightly to meet her eager lips with his own.

A sigh escaped Raven as she kissed the silver-haired man. She pushed herself up a bit and wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to be closer. He complied and held the frail woman's body to his, a small part of him, the part not concentrating on her lips, worried about how thin she was. When his tongue ran lightly across her bottom lip, Raven automatically parted her eager mouth, welcoming him to deepen the kiss. He did, and for several minutes their tongues performed a complicated dance while exploring the warm mouth of their partner. All Raven could think of was how much she loved Yazoo and never wanted to be away from him. She knew he loved her, which made it all the better. She pressed herself to him in a strange hug and broke the kiss, only to leave a trail of feather-light kisses from the corner of his mouth to his earlobe.

"I love you Yazoo…" she whispered, voice a bit harsh from desire, "…with all my heart."

"I love you too, Raven." He murmured into her ear, his lips brushing against her skin causing a shiver to shoot down her spine, "I want to always be with you. Forever." Tears of joy formed behind Raven's eyes as she hugged him. And then blinding pain racked her body.

She didn't scream. The month or so she had been with Sephiroth had taught her never to scream when in pain. Though this time it was difficult. She pushed away from Yazoo and launched off the bed to stumble towards the couch. Pain clouded her vision and she fell, almost smashing her head into the glass coffee table. She set her jaw and stared down at her hands, completely unaware of Yazoo's panicked calls. All she knew was the pain coursing through her body. She closed her eyes against the suddenly blinding glare coming from the bonds of her wrists. Fright overcame her as thoughts of Sephiroth entered her mind. 'No.' she thought defiantly, 'I will not let him win.' She gritted her teeth and stood up, almost knocking Yazoo on his back. She didn't know when he had come beside her and didn't really care. She walked a few feet away from her love and blocked all thoughts except for those of him.

She forced herself to remember every detail of him; the soft curve of his full lips, they way they felt when she kissed him, the feel of his silky-soft hair, the way he said her name, how it felt to lay with him in his arms. That he loved her. 'You lose, Sephiroth.' She thought grimly and released her power with a defiant scream,

"NOOOOO!" she threw her arms out and head back, letting her power race through her. It banished all the pain and its strength almost frightened her, as she had never been this powerful. She heard the bands around her wrists, ankles and forehead scream in protest and then shatter. She panted and collapsed on her knees as a cold numb feeling washed over her.

"Raven…?" Yazoo whispered after a moment.

"I'm okay, Yazoo…" she whispered and slowly came to her feet. Glancing around for the fragments of the bands that had held her, Raven frowned when she found no trace of them.

"What happened?" the sliver-haired man asked. He sounded frightened. She turned to look at him, still on the ground. Indeed, he did look frightened. Raven suddenly started to laugh uncontrollably and collapsed on the ground, holding her stomach. She laughed until tears stained her face. Upon seeing Yazoo's face, however, she sobered up and sat straight.

"Sephiroth designed those restraints to hold back my power. He made it so no matter how angry I got, I couldn't break free. He had seen that anger amplifies my powers." She smiled triumphantly at him, "But what he didn't know, and me neither until just now, is that there is another emotion much stronger than hate."

Yazoo watched her carefully and slowly understood. He returned her smile, "Love." He answered.

"Yes." Raven laughed again, "I've saved myself and maybe even you and everyone else. I can face him now with no worries."

"That's—wait. What did you say?" Yazoo whispered angrily.

Raven chuckled and walked over to his side. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his chest, "We're safe."

Yazoo made a strange growling sound deep in his throat. He took her by the shoulders and held her a bit back from him to peer somewhat angrily into her violet eyes, "No. You just said you could face him with no worries or something. What the hell are you talking about? You are never going near him again."

"Excuse me?" Raven squeaked and backed up out of his reach. He let his hands fell limp and uselessly to his sides, "Do you really think you can stop me?"

"I never said that…" the silver-haired man whispered and lowered his eyes, "I just…want you never to have to be near him, Raven. I love you too much to lose you to him."

What felt like a fist squeezed gently on Raven's heart and her anger dissipated, "And I love you, Yazoo. That's why I have to face him. I have to kill him to keep you and everyone else safe." She walked back over to him, violet eyes filled with concern and adoration. The thought of him dead and gone forever almost caused her physical pain. "I've seen what Sephiroth can do…I will not let that happen to anyone else."

"Let us help then." Yazoo murmured as he walked over to pull her into a hug. Raven felt more than heard him press his nose into her hair and inhale before continuing, "We will all stand strong against him."

"I can't let you do that…" Raven sighed. She pulled him closer, never wanting to step away. "Just let me handle it. Please. I know I can."

Yazoo pulled back a bit to look her in the face, but kept his arms around her. He bent his neck a bit to brush a feather-light kiss over her lips, "We'll discuss it later. With Kadaj and Aelita. I'm sure they will want to have a say in the matter."

"Whatever…" Raven grumbled. Yazoo laughed and kissed her forehead before hugging her close, yet again. The violet-haired woman squirmed a bit until he loosened his hold and leaned back with raised brows. Her purple eyes sparkled with mischief and she answered the unspoken question in his eyes, "I want more kisses and cuddles. You have a lot of time to make up for."

Yazoo grinned, sending a shiver down her spine. She yelped when he swung her up into his arms and carried her over to the couch. 'This should be fun…' Raven thought as she pulled herself up a bit to kiss the soft skin of his neck.

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"Kadaj…" Aelita whispered while stroking the young man's shoulder-length silver hair. She lounged next to him on the silver bed, looking down on him with concern. He was lying on his left side, back to her, staring at the wall. The brunette girl ran a finger along his jaw bone, "Talk to me, babe…"

Kadaj was silent for a long while. Aelita comforted herself by continuing to run her fingers through his hair, over his cheek, down his neck and arms. When he finally spoke his soft voice cracked, "My brother is dead, Ael1…what am I supposed to say?"

"I don't _know_, Kadaj. But…you're scaring me…you've hardly talked or moved all night…" The young girl felt tears burning behind her eyes. She closed her eyes and cleared her throat to keep from crying. Again. When she opened her olive eyes again a small tear sparkled on the silver-haired man's cheek. Aelita took a deep breath to fight off the grief and bent slightly to brush away the tear with a chaste kiss. She trailed kisses up his flushed cheek to his ear, where she whispered, "I love you, Kadaj, and I'm here for you no matter what. Don't forget that."

Kadaj turned at that to gaze into the young girls green eyes with his own green-blue ones. He looked a bit shocked, and Aelita knew why. She blushed, but didn't look away. Though it was the first time she had said 'I love you'. It seemed to have caught him off guard. He reached up and pulled her down to kiss her. He didn't break the kiss, instead he murmured against her lips, "Thank you. I love you too, Aelita."

The brunette smiled warmly and pressed her mouth to his again and moved over a bit to lay her body against his in a strange hug. His arms slipped around her small waist, pulling her against his body. Aelita trailed her fingers through his silky hair, starting at his forehead and moving her hands to the back of his head where she cradled him, not letting him break the kiss. She ran her tongue enticingly along the bottom of his lip. She gave a small yelp into his mouth when he suddenly rolled over on top of her, being careful not to crush her beneath him. The brunette pulled back from the kiss and scowled at him. He pushed his upper half up a bit and frowned down at her, a question dancing in his confused eyes.

Aelita pouted at him and tugged at the leather over-coat of his outfit. "Off." She demanded. Kadaj grinned and complied by starting to unbuckle the straps that kept the coat tied to his thighs. While he did that, Aelita eagerly began to unzip the coat, trailing her tongue down his smooth chest as she did so. When they got the coat off, Kadaj was left in only tight leather pants. The green-eyed girl gazed in wonder, as she did every time she saw his chest, at his smooth, toned muscles and hard nipples. She licked his collarbone and left a trail of wet kisses down the center of his chest to his breastbone, pushing him gently till he lay on his back. Aelita smiled inwardly when she heard the silver-haired man beneath her gasp and moan softly as she kissed the sensitive flesh around his nipple before gently licking it.

"Aelita…" Kadaj murmured when her lips trailed farther down and she nuzzled the small trail of hair that disappeared beneath his pants. She glanced up at him from her position,

"Off." She repeated and tugged at his pants. Kadaj smiled somewhat evilly down at her and sat up, pushing her away from him slightly,

"You first." He whispered in her ear before licking it. Aelita felt an uncontrollable, yet pleasurable, shiver race down her spine. She quickly tugged her dress off over her head and practically ripped off her tights, throwing both articles off to the side. She turned back to him and growled at him seductively before crawling slowly toward him, licking her lips.

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Raven giggled into the long, silky soft silver hair that covered her face. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of his beautiful hair. The hair tickled her face and she giggled again as she felt the soft strands trail off her face. Soon green-blue cat eyes met her own dark violet ones as her newfound love gazed up at her. His head had been laid next to hers, face buried in her neck with his long hair draped over her own face. That had actually been an accident, but Raven didn't mind. She loved his hair.

At the moment, they were laying half on, half beside each other on the wide, plush couch. Yazoo's left arm was wrapped protectively around the violet-haired woman's waist, almost as if he was keeping her from tumbling off their make-shift bed. His right arm was under her shoulders and he stroked the bare skin of her right arm absent mindedly. Raven wasn't sure if she could feel her left foot because her legs were tangled with Yazoo's, which seemed to be cutting off the circulation to the foot, but once again, she didn't mind. Being close to him was all that mattered to her.

Yazoo pushed himself up a bit to brush his lips against her cheek. Raven turned to meet his lips with her own but the silver-haired man eluded her and trailed his mouth down to her ear where he rubbed his soft lips against her earlobe. 'Damn him…' the violet-eyed woman thought shakily when he abruptly stopped caressing her with his lips. When he started to pull back Raven gently grabbed him behind his neck and pulled him down so she could get to his ear,

"You're teasing me, Yazoo. I don't like being teased." Her breath was hot on his ear and she ended it with a quick lick on the skin below the lobe of his ear. Yazoo pulled back to look down on her, his silver hair falling down to form a curtain around their faces, closing them off from the world. He was so close to her that if Raven would have breathed, her lips would have met his. As it was, the green-blue of his cat-like eyes had entranced her and she was subconsciously holding her breath.

"Don't you?" he murmured, his lips brushing over hers. She gasped as something tugged in the bottom of her stomach and a wave of dizziness washed over her. 'He's so _damn_ _intoxicating_.' She thought and got the urge to tangle her fingers in his hair and kiss him roughly. Instead, she nodded slightly, once again causing their lips to touch lightly.

"Hmm." Yazoo sighed thoughtfully and rubbed his lips against hers, "Interesting…" With that he sat up a bit, leaning on his right arm to look down at her with an innocent smile. They stared at each other for awhile until the green-blue eyed man suddenly rolled off the couch and stood in one fluid motion. Raven let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in a sigh. 'He's too beautiful…' she thought as she gazed up at him studying her, 'How did I ever get to be with him?'

"We need to talk with Kadaj and Aelita." Yazoo said softly, still looking down at her. The smile had faded from his face and he cocked his head as he studied her.

"Yeah…" Raven sighed again and looked around before realizing her phone wasn't near her. In fact, it was in her room. Running a hand through her violet-hair she frowned and looked up at Yazoo questioningly. He raised his brows. "Can I use your phone?"

"Sure." He said softly and turned to walk to the bedside table. Raven frowned thoughtfully as she watched him, wondering if he was walking, almost sauntering, like that intentionally. She also wondered if he knew the pants he was wearing hugged his cute backside so nicely. The violet-eyed woman smiled, blushing a bit when she caught herself studying Yazoo's butt so intently. Shrugging after a few more thoughts and continued to study his back as he searched through the drawer of the small table. His long, shining hair slipped over his back and swayed as he moved. The muscles of his lower back rippled slightly as he bent and moved while he shuffled through the contents of the drawer. The black pants he wore clung to not only his well rounded bottom, but also his muscled thighs. Raven fought back another blush as she wondered how that backside and those legs would look with nothing to cover them.

Her eyes flicked up to meet his eyes as he turned back to her, silver hair flipping around behind him, some slipping over his face. Raven held up her hand, getting the urge to flaunt her newly regained power. She concentrated on the phone and it swiftly flew out of Yazoo's hand and snapped into hers. She smiled at his shocked lookd.

"Sorry. I'm feeling…show-offy."

"That's…fine." He said softly, still a bit shocked. Raven grinned and dialed Aelita's number, which she knew by heart. On the sixth ring Aelita picked up,

"_Yeah?"_

"Hey, Aelita…um…are you okay?" the younger girl sounded breathless.

"_Yeah, I'm great…why?"_

"You're out of breath." Raven pointed out the obvious, watching Yazoo stride back over to her on the couch. After he sat she settled into his embrace.

"_Um…"_

Raven waited for more but when no other explanation followed, she made an assumption, "Oops. Did I ah-interrupt anything?"

"…_No, not really. What do you need?"_

"I need to speak with you and Kadaj. About Sephiroth and…stuff."

"_Oh. Okay." _There were a few moments of silence before Raven heard her friend speak again, _"Kadaj says 'whatever'. But I'll drag him along. Meet out front? It's cold, but not terrible."_

"Yeah, that sounds good." Raven thought for a moment before adding, "How long will you need to be ready?"

"_Thirty minutes."_

"Alright. See you then." Raven chuckled and hung up. She was glad that Aelita was happy with Kadaj, even though he could be a major jerk sometimes.

"What's going on?" Yazoo asked softly, playing with her violet hair.

"We're meeting out front to figure out what we'll do. It'll be nice for all of us to put our heads together and work out--" Raven halted as she realized all of them wouldn't be there. Loz was dead. And it was her fault. She had been trying her best to avoid too much grief. Loz would have teased her for crying. Closing her eyes and ignoring Yazoo's concerned questions, the violet-eyed woman concentrated on anything but the last time she saw Loz. Needless to say, she failed miserably. 'It figures when I don't want to think about something, I do.' She thought bitterly as tears began to stream down her cheeks. Yazoo's cold fingers against her flushed cheek brought Raven back to reality.

"What is wrong?" the silver-haired man asked softly.

"It's all my fault…" she whispered and leaned her head against his cupped hand. "Loz is…_dead_ because of me. I didn't--" Harsh sobs shook her body, cutting her off from saying anything else. Yazoo hugged her to his chest and murmured into her hair. Raven was faintly aware of a slight wetness on the top of her head, which made her feel even worse. 'I shouldn't have said anything…' she realized, 'Now I've made Yazoo cry…' And though she wanted to, nothing she could do could stop either hers or Yazoo's sorrow. They settled with holding each other close for comfort, knowing that eventually their love would keep them strong

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_[1 Ael is pronounced _pail,_ without the p._

_ZOMG this chapter is horrid. I'm sorry it's short and blah. I tried really really hard, though, to make it somewhat decent. Writer's block is a bitch. Pardon the language, but I'm kind ticked that I haven't been able to write for the past week or whatever. I hate it. This may be the last chapter I get to post before January unless I get inspired in the next few days, so sorry in advance for those who care. :P I almost want to not post this, cause I don't like it so much. It was forced, but oh well. I have an idea for a sequel already, so I'm going to try to finish this one soon. I had planned on ending it in a few chapters anyway, so it works out well. Alrighty then, I'll see you guys around. Thanks for reading and any reviews!_

_Kitsune _


	15. Chapter 15: A Perfect Night

_Alrighty, I hope I didn't mention this in the last chapter A/N, so sorry if I'm repeating myself. Anyway, my good friend read this story and he said it was good, except he didn't like the fact that Kadaj was so nice. I thought about it and I've realized that he's right. So I'm going to change Kadaj's attitude a bit, and make him kinda snotty towards everyone but Aelita. Hope it'll work out well. XD_

**Chapter Fifteen**

**A Perfect Night**

Raven walked towards Yazoo, who leaned against a white tree, surrounded by the other glowing trees of the forest surrounding their home. She sat down next to him and he put his arm around her as she nestled against him. He was wearing his normal attire and she was in a form-fitting, spaghetti strap black dress. The violet-eyed woman's love had bought it for her the day she was rescued. She closed her eyes and smiled when he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

Raven opened her eyes and looked over at the large shell-like structure, not too far from where they cuddled, on the little island in the middle of the lake. Kadaj emerged with Aelita and walked down the stairs towards them. He scowls at them, though the young girl next to him is smiling. She was wearing a light green dress that almost matched her olive eyes.

"Kadaj. Aelita." Yazoo greeted them. Kadaj and the young girl nod as she takes the young, silver-haired man's hand. Raven blinked a couple times, getting the feeling of déjà vu. She shook it off and looked up at the couple,

"That's a pretty dress, Aelita." She comments.

"Thank you. Kadaj bought it for me. Isn't he sweet?" the brunette beamed at her lover. Kadaj scowled at her, and then Raven and Yazoo.

"I am not sweet. I just…shut it you two!" he yelled at the two leaning on the tree, who were laughing. The younger man frowned and turned away, "I don't know why I'm here. Just hurry up and say what you want to say so I can get out of here."

Aelita rolled her eyes at him before turning to her friend, "So what's up?"

Raven glanced up at the sky. It would be noon in a few hours. She sighed, "I have to destroy Sephiroth or he'll never give up. And it's not just me he'll keep coming after. He wants you too, Aelita. He...well, Aelita you're my half sister."

"What?" the younger woman exclaimed. Kadaj glanced back, obviously curious in spite of himself. Raven sighed again and told them what Sephiroth had said.

"Can we believe him?" Yazoo asked softly.

"It has to be true." The violet-eyed woman said softly, "It makes so much sense. Besides, I want it to be true." She smiled up at her younger sister.

Aelita squealed in delight, "Oh this is fabulous! I always wanted an older sister!" Kadaj shook his head at the young girl, but Raven could see the edges of his mouth twitch in an attempt to fight a smile.

"Anyway," Raven continued, "Yazoo refuses to let me go alone, so if you two want to help, you can. I'd prefer it if you didn't risk yourselves for me, but it's up to you. I wanted to go today, but I think it will have to wait until morning."

Aelita's eyes grew wide, "Of course we'll help."

"Excuse me?" Kadaj interjected, "I never said I wanted that. I don't want to go near that man again. And Ael, you sure as hell aren't going near him. Let Raven and Yazoo handle it."

The olive-eyed girl turned angrily on the young man, "Well, you can stay here then, if you want. I'm going to help my sister in any way I can. You should help them too, seeing as Yazoo is going and he's _your brother_." She glared at him before adding softly, "At least just think about it."

Kadaj's eyes narrowed, "Fine, whatever. I'll think about it."

"Good." Aelita said triumphantly, "At least go into town with me so we can get supplies and what not."

"Fine." Kadaj said through gritted teeth. Raven raised one thin brow at him, receiving another scowl. He walked forward and bent down to whisper harshly in her ear, "Listen, I don't give a damn what you do, but if Aelita get's hurt, I'll kill you. Same with Yazoo. I've already lost one brother because of you." And with that he stalked off, grabbed Aelita's hand and dragged her off with him, leaving Raven to lean back against Yazoo, silent and stunned. A few moments later Kadaj's motorcycle roared to life and they zoomed out from behind the building.

"That was…not right of him." Yazoo said softly and tightened his arm around the quiet woman beside him.

"No…it was. No matter what anyone says, it is my fault." Raven lowered her eyes and struggled against the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks, "I wasn't strong enough to save him."

"Don't say that." The silver-haired man murmured, pulling her closer, almost into his lap. She cuddled closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck to bury her head in his neck. Tears she was unable to hold back spilled over and dripped onto Yazoo's soft skin. He kissed the top of her head, "Don't cry…it will be all right. Come, let's go for a walk, have lunch, and do whatever you want to have a great day."

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Aelita stayed where she was; arms wrapped tightly around Kadaj's waist, head rested comfortably on his back. She sighed, half happy, half sad, and turned to bury her nose in his short silver hair. 'He smells wonderful…' she thought, inhaling the scent of his shinning hair.

Kadaj shifted against her, "Aelita?" She sighed again in response and slipped off the bike and adjusted the small green dress that clung perfectly to her body. Slowly, she followed the silver-haired man as he stalked towards the open market.

"What do we need?" Aelita asked softly when they stopped at a stand selling fruit.

"Stuff." Kadaj muttered and began to sort through a basket of mangoes. The brunette sighed and shook her head,

"And what is your definition of 'stuff'?"

"Fruit, meat, both dry and…not dry," he sighed and Aelita laughed at the latter comment, "also, condensed milk, and some vegetables."

"Ah." She said quietly while watching him fail at selecting a decent mango. Rolling her eyes, she nudged him out of the way, earning a scowl. "Look. If we're getting more than one mango, we want most of them to be a bit under-ripe. That way, over the days or weeks or whatever, they ripen instead of rotting. If we get five, three need to be under-ripe, one about to ripen, and one perfectly ripe." As she explained this, Aelita selected five mangoes that suited her criteria.

"The word ripe is starting to sound really weird." Kadaj said with a sigh, causing the young girl with him to giggle. He rolled his eyes at her and crossed his arms over his stomach with a scowl.

"Whatever, my luscious." Aelita grinned, "Heh heh…'lettuce leaf'. HA HA HA!" And with that she marched down the crowded aisles of the outdoor market, Kadaj trailing after and muttering under his breath.

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The cool water lapped around Raven's slim body as she smiled. Wearing a one-piece, high necked halter swimming suit, the violet-haired woman floated slowly around the small body of water surrounding her home on her back. Her arms were thrown out almost perpendicular to her sides, sinking just below the surface. She kept her slim legs spread a bit to help her float, but allowed her feet to drift beneath the almost cold water.

"Raven…?" she heard Yazoo call almost timidly from the shore, "Are you alright?" Her smile grew and she dunked her head and body below the water before treading water. That was about the eighth time in the past forty minutes he had asked her that. It was very touching that he cared that much.

"I'm fine." She called softly back to the silver-haired man that was watching her cautiously from the bank. He sat near the water, allowing it to barely lap his bare toes. With knees drawn to his chest and arms wrapped around his long legs, he studied her with his head rested on his knees, long hair falling around his soft face. Raven sighed happily, 'He is so beautiful…' she thought.

"Okay. It's getting late though…so let me know when you want to eat." He replied, still watching her. That intense, yet loving, gaze sent shivers down Raven's spine. Good shivers, though. She swiftly swam towards him until she could feel the squishy and gritty floor of the lake. Grinning, she sauntered slightly as she walked towards him and raised an eyebrow when a blush crept up his neck and onto his smooth cheeks. Raven laughed and collapsed, somehow gracefully, onto the dirt and sand beside him. She stretched out on her back and closed her eyes. She tried to enjoy just laying there next to him, but since it was early spring, the air was already nipping at the bare skin of her arms, legs and face. Having just left the water didn't help matters either.

"Maybe we should go in now." She commented with a shiver as she sat up, "It's a little chilly." Frowning now, the violet-eyed woman rubbed her arms in an attempt to suppress the goosebumps. Yazoo put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to kiss her forehead lightly.

"Sure. You can take a bath and…I'll make us something to eat?" Raven met his teal eyes with her own purple ones and smiled,

"You don't have to do that. I can cook for us if you want." She let him help her up and together they walked back to the shell-like structure that served as their home.

"No, no, it's fine. You've been through a lot lately. Let me treat you to this. Besides, you are going to have to face…Sephiroth again soon, so I want to make this a very good day, and night for you." Raven raised her thin violet eyebrows suggestively at his last comment. He returned her gaze for a few moments and then blinked when he understood what had just come out of his mouth. "I didn't really mean that…" he muttered and blushed again. Raven feigned disappointment and then laughed when they reached her bedroom door.

"I'll be out in a few minutes. Then we can cook together, okay?" she had to push up a bit on the balls of her feet and rest her hand on Yazoo's chest to place a chaste kiss on his slightly parted lips. Without waiting for a response, the slim, bathing-suit clad woman turned into her room and shut the door.

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Thirty minutes later Raven, in black pants and tank-top, and Yazoo, in a simple light blue dress shirt and black pants, sat curled up on his white couch eating…creamy chicken Ramen noodles. Raven knew it wasn't too romantic, but she didn't care. She was with Yazoo and that was all that mattered. Besides, creamy chicken was her favorite flavor. She slurped down the last bit of her meal and placed the bowl gently on the coffee table with a contented sigh. Yazoo followed suit and when he leaned back the violet-eyed woman turned her back to him and cuddled into his embrace. For a long time the couple sat in silence, enjoying one another's company.

"Raven…"

"Yeah?" she murmured tiredly and snuggled closer.

"When do you want to confront Sephiroth?" his voice sounded strained, which caused Raven to frown.

"Tomorrow. Why?" When he didn't respond she turned her upper body to meet his blue-green eyes. They were intense and full of…something she couldn't quite place. Too many emotions were flashing across his almost vulnerable face for her to process. She watched him a bit longer before breaking the silence, "Yazoo…are you alright?"

He responded with a single, quick nod and a chaste kiss on her nose. She blinked a couple times and smiled up at him. Almost tentatively, the silver-haired man reached up with his right hand and placed it gently on her left cheek. With a happy sigh, Raven leaned against his hand a bit and closed her violet eyes. A few moments she felt his warm, sweet breath on her face, though she didn't open her eyes.

"I love you, Raven." She heard him whisper almost inaudibly.

"And I love you, Yazoo." She murmured and barely a breath of a moment later he pressed his lips against hers. Twisting in his hold, Raven turned until she faced him and could return the kiss properly. She nibbled his lower lip, asking permission to deepen the kiss. He yielded and allowed her to press closer to him as her tongue danced with his and explored his mouth. She felt his hands slip up under her shirt and begin to caress her back. When he began to fiddle with her bra, Raven realized where this was headed. For a split second she hesitated. 'Am I really ready for this?' she thought. When she froze, Yazoo had done the same. 'Yes…' she realized, 'Yes I am.'

She leaned away from him and met his curious gaze. Without breaking eye contact she slowly removed her shirt and tossed it carelessly to the side. She shook her now frazzled purple hair before leaning back down to kiss him almost ferociously. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close as he kissed her back, only loosening his grip when she began to unbutton his shirt. When that had been tossed aside, Raven began to trail feather light kisses from the hollow of his throat down to the fluff of hair at the top of his pants, drawing small moans from his throat. Raven stopped her kisses momentarily and began to unbutton his pants. They were a little tight, so he had to lean forward and help her tug them off, placing soft kisses on the side of her neck as he did so, sending shivers down her spine.

When she had tossed those aside, Raven leaned forward and kissed him heatedly on the lips while she ran a hand down his smooth chest to his now hard manhood. She smiled when he gasped in pleasure. When she began to snake her hand down his black silk boxers, he grabbed her wrist gently,

"No fair. I'm in my underwear and you aren't."

"I'm half-way there." She breathed against his neck. With a chuckle he ran a finger around the hem of her jeans,

"Not good enough…" he whispered.

She smiled and sat up a bit. Swiftly, she unbuttoned her pants and slipped out of them, revealing black lacey panties. Yazoo smiled in approval. Raven leaned forward again after letting him study her for a while and kissed him. She teased his erection and giggled at his soft moans. Suddenly, she stopped and pulled back to look at him curiously as she remembered something he had said a long time ago,

"You're a virgin…aren't you?" she asked softly, cupping his cheek with a hand. He leaned against her palm and sighed almost sadly,

"Yes."

Raven frowned thoughtfully, "Are you…" she cleared her throat, "Is this how you want--" Yazoo cut her off by placing a finger against her lips,

"I want you Raven, only you. I love you with all my heart. I'm ready for this, and anything that comes our way. I will stand by you forever, no matter what happens. I am yours." The intensity in his eyes as he spoke rocked the violet-eyed woman to her core. She realized he had basically promised to marry her or something like that. Tears burned her eyes and throat, though she blinked them away. She moved till she was straddling his lap as he lay on his back, though raised up on her knees. She leaned forward until her face was a breath away from his,

"That is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever said to me. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you, Yazoo, so hearing you speak those words mean the world to me." She kissed him softly before adding with a grin, "And I plan to hold you to them."

"Please do." He whispered and pulled her close with a passionate kiss. Raven lowered the rest of her body gently until she felt his need pressing against her. "Raven…" Yazoo suddenly murmured against her lips.

"Yeah." She breathed, wanting the talking to stop and the sex to start.

"After this Sephiroth nonsense…will you marry me?" Raven jerked her head back and blinked. This was the second time in her life that she had been proposed to. The first time had been Reno after they had been dating for a year and a half. After thinking about it, she had declined him, wanting more time to think about it. Something inside her had told her to wait. And now she knew why.

"Of course. Nothing in the world would be better for me than to be with you." She smiled and kissed him as tears of joy began to trail down her cheeks. The silver-haired man pulled away from her kiss and brushed away her tears as he unhooked the clasps of her bra and slipped it off, tossing it over the back of the couch. He pushed her back a bit to look over her half-nudity with a loving smile. "God, you're beautiful…" he muttered and leaned up a bit to place a chaste kiss on the underside of her left breast, leaving Raven gasping for air. Suddenly, the violet-eyed woman sensed Kadaj and Aelita returning from their shopping expedition.

"Hang on." She breathed in his ear before rolling off of him and the couch. He watched her, puzzled as she walked to the door.

"What are you doing?" he called softly, a little out of breath.

"Sealing the room." She responded as she knelt at the door and touched her right hand to bottom edge of the almost invisible seam.

"You can do that?" he asked.

"Yeah." She stated and then was silent. Because she had discovered that particular talent when she and Reno had sex for the first time, she wasn't going to elaborate on it, for Yazoo's sake. She shook all thoughts of her ex from her mind and concentrated on her power, buried deep within her. She was shocked when it almost overwhelmed her and she remembered how the restraints Sephiroth had placed on her had somehow upped her power. She took a deep breath and suppressed her power. Letting a little of the strange 'magic' inside of her leak out, Raven ran her hand up and around the door frame, locking and sealing it shut. She then placed a hand in the center of the door and walked around the perimeter of the room, never breaking contact with the wall. This was a bit difficult because she had to crawl over Yazoo's bed and switch to her left hand temporarily when she crawled over his four-poster bed, but she managed. When she reached the door again, totally aware and turned on by the fact that she could feel Yazoo's eyes on her the whole time, she spoke in a whisper, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

The door and walls flashed black, then white, before fading back to their original glowing blue-white. She turned back to Yazoo, who was watching her curiously from the couch.

"What did that do?" he asked as he studied her body while she sauntered slowly back over, a wicked grin on her face,

"The room is now locked, sealed, and sound-proof." She resumed her previous position and studied his pale chest as she lightly trailed her fingers across it, smiling when his nipples hardened.

"That's handy." He murmured and began to mimic her movements. With a somewhat animal-like growl, Raven decided enough was enough. She leaned forward and kissed him passionately, her tongue playing with his, as she propped herself up a bit and removed her panties with one hand. Yazoo seemed a bit surprised and timidly explored her now-exposed curves. While he did that, the violet-haired woman tugged at his boxers, which, with a bit of his help, were soon tossed aside.

Raven broke off the kiss and met his eyes, which were heated with love, lust, want, and need. She was sure hers looked similar, only not turquoise. She ran her fingers through his long hair as she moved slowly down his body towards his full erection, never breaking contact with his gaze. When she reached his crotch, she kissed the soft silver hair just above his manhood. Yazoo groaned and his eyes fluttered shut for a moment before he opened them again and continued to gaze into her own purple eyes. Very slowly, Raven rubbed her cheek against his hardness before kissing the tip of it. This time, when the silver-haired man's eyes closed they stayed like that while he gasped for breath. She continued to watch his face as she took his length in her mouth gently. She loved the way his back arched as she twirled her tongue around him and moved her head back and forth and picked up a rhythm. Yazoo's hands found her hair and he began to roughly run his hand through it as she pleasured him, her own hands running over his tight stomach. His groans grew louder as he began to reach his climax. Raven closed her eyes and bit ever so gently on his manhood and quickly twirled her tongue around the very tip of his erection. His hands tightened on her hair suddenly and he cried out in pleasure and Raven felt him release in her mouth. She licked him clean as he panted for breath, pleased with how surprisingly good he tasted.

"Raven…" he murmured, looking down at her, eyes dancing. "That was…ha…wow…I…" she crawled back up to kiss him hard on the mouth.

"We're not finished." She said, voice harsh. As she kissed him roughly, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, she wrapped her hand around his length and began to stroke him, working him back to another erection. She smiled into his kisses as it didn't take much to get his manhood hard and throbbing again. When she deemed him ready she sat up and met his gaze again, placing herself above him, his tip at her entrance. It didn't surprise her that she would be the dominant one in their relationship. And surprisingly, she enjoyed it.

"Are you ready?" she whispered, voice husky. Yazoo could only nod as he reached up and cupped her breasts, one in each hand, and rubbed her hard nipples. She returned his nod and watched him before pushing down, sheathing him inside of her. They both moaned loudly in pleasure as Raven gripped his side and began to find a rhythm. Yazoo caught on quickly and began to buck his hips as she came down to thrust himself deeper inside of her. He began to knead her breasts harder as they increased the pace, both gasping and moaning each other's name, almost in unison. Raven felt herself reaching her climax and lost control. She began to slam down onto him, out of rhythm. She screamed out her Yazoo's name when her orgasm hit. He soon followed, crying out her name in ecstasy as she felt him flow inside of her. Panting she slipped off of him and collapsed half beside and half on him. He held her close, and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you…Raven. I love you…" he murmured.

"Anytime." She chuckled. "I love you too."

And then they fell asleep in each other's arms, both trying not to think of what would come to pass the next day. The final battle.

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_A/N: Sooooo, what do you think? This chapter took me forever cause I had a terrible case of writer's block, but I'm pleased with what I wrote. I think this next chapter, sixteen, will be the last one. I'm ready to finish this one and move onto the sequel. Anyway, R&R please!! _

_Kitsune_


	16. Chapter 16: The Final Battle

**Chapter Sixteen**

**The Final Battle**

Raven woke curled up in Yazoo's large bed—alone. She sat up swiftly, clutching the sheets around her, now cold, bare body. Frowning, she studied the room, searching for her clothes. She smiled when she found them, and her shoes, beside her on the floor, folded and neat. Appreciating her lover's kind thoughts, though still a bit annoyed that she had awoken alone, Raven slipped out from under her warm refuge and hurriedly tugged on her clothes.

Once dressed, the violet haired woman walked to the door and realized her wards were still up, but very weak. Meaning Yazoo probably couldn't have left. She touched the wall and the barrier was still complete, warm and pulsing. She frowned, wondering where the silver-haired man could be. As she walked towards the couch, Raven heard a splash from the door leading to the bathroom. She froze and stared at the door, very confused. Cautiously, she approached the door and placed her palm flat against it. Yes, there it was, her barrier of power guarded the door. 'Then how did someone, probably Yazoo, get in there?' she wondered. Knowing she could simply walk through her own barriers at will, Raven opened the door and walked through, shivering when she passed through and felt the barrier tingle with warmth throughout her body.

"Hullo." Yazoo greeted, a little surprised, from the large tub in the corner. There was a toilet not far from the tub, and against the wall beside Raven was a large marble sink.

"How did you get through my barrier?" she asked with a frown, trying to ignore the fact that Yazoo was very wet and very naked. She wanted to go over to him and play with his silver hair that clung to his head and body.

"Well, I really wanted a bath, and I forgot about the barrier you rose till I got to the door. It felt strange." He shrugged, causing hidden muscles to ripple across his shoulders and what was visible above the bubbles in the bath. "I touched the door and it felt…warm and alive. I tried to open it and I did. When I came in here I got all tingly for a second, and then it was gone." He then gestured to a padded chair near the tub, inviting her to sit.

"Well…" Raven started, trying to ignore his invitation. The chair was –much- too close to him; she'd probably just end up in the tub with him. 'Not that that would be bad…' she thought, then shook her head, "I don't know why that happened. Perhaps because you are so dear to me, my powers recognize you as someone equal to me and let me pass. I'm not sure though." After a few more seconds of shifting uncomfortably, the violet-haired woman gave up fighting the urge made her way to the chair, pausing only when she passed before the mirror. Her purple hair looked like she had stuck her head in a bucket of tornados. Her eyes were bright and almost wild, her cheeks flushed. She didn't like it.

"Ugh. I look awful." She said with a frown. "I guess I understand why you took a bath." She added with a laugh.

"You do not look awful. You look beautiful, as always." Yazoo said with a smile as he moved to the edge of the tub and rested his chin on the marble, "But if you think you need to bathe…you can always join me." Raven studied his face, the lustful look in his eyes telling her exactly what he wanted. She smiled and walked towards him, removing her shirt and kicking of her shoes as she did.

"Well now…if you insist." She grinned and leaned down to kiss him.

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Aelita paced back and forth on the soft ground outside the shell-like structure that now served as her home. 'Where the hell are they??' she wondered with a scowl. Raven and Yazoo were supposed to be out here already, and Kadaj had said he just needed a shower and then he'd be right down. That was twenty minutes ago. "How long does one man need to bathe!" she cried out loud. She stopped her pacing as she caught a brief glimpse of herself in the still water surrounding her home. She smiled.

Yesterday, the young girl had convinced Kadaj to let her pick out new outfits for Raven and her. They were leather, of course, to match their lovers' clothes. Aelita's outfit consisted of a tight, long-sleeved top with a scooped-out neckline that showed a bit of cleavage. Tight leather shorts covered her legs to just above her knee and small leather shoes covered her feet. Her two short katanas were strapped to her waist, one at each hip. The brunette had decided against gloves; she preferred the feel of the hilts of her weapons. She hoped Raven enjoyed the outfit picked out for her. Aelita had left it outside Yazoo's door, assuming that's where her friend was.

"Sorry…" she heard Kadaj mutter as he trudged down the front stairs. With a smile, she turned and walked towards her lover. His eyes widened a bit at her appearance, as this was the first time he had seen her in the leather. She grinned and added a little sway to her hips, causing a slight blush to creep up his neck. Halfway to him, a pain shot through Aelita, as if she had been stabbed in the gut. With a grunt, she fell to one knee, clutching her stomach. She heard Kadaj call out her name as strange emotions washed over her. They definitely weren't from anyone she knew. She allowed Kadaj the take her into his arms.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"I dunno…" she groaned as the pain passed, but the barrage of emotions tore at her mind.

"Aelita!" she heard Raven call, followed by footfalls. Next, she felt a cool hand on her forehead.

"Raven…help…" the brunette opened her eyes managed to gasp out. Raven nodded and Aelita felt a strange warmth enter her, beginning where Raven's hand was placed on her forehead. It spread through her head, but didn't lessen the storm of emotions rattling her brain; only eased the headache they were giving her. Next, it seeped into her chest and through her body. After a moment Raven removed her hand.

"Get control, Aelita." Raven commanded softly. "Block those emotions." 

"I can't!" the young girl said through gritted teeth. Tears began to streak down her cheeks, "I don't know where it's coming from!"

"That doesn't matter." The violet-eyed woman said sternly, "Instead of blocking emotions coming from people, you need to block yourself from them. Do it." Aelita squinted her eyes closed and concentrated. After a moment, the emotions stopped and the world was suddenly still and quiet.

"What the hell was that?" Kadaj whispered.

"Ugh…" Aelita sat up and placed a hand on her head as the headache returned.

"Come on." Raven said, grabbing the young brunette's arm, "We need to talk." Puzzled, Aelita stood and allowed Raven to lead her around the back of the building, despite Kadaj's loud protests. When they reached the edge of the water beneath a tree, the violet-haired woman pulled the younger one to the ground.

"Aelita…" Raven said softly and touched the girl's forehead, causing her headache to dissipate.

"Yeah?" Aelita was confused. 'What's going on?' she thought.

"There's really no easy way to tell you this." Raven said with a sigh, dropping her hand. "So I'm just going to come out and say it." She took a deep breath as the younger woman cocked an eyebrow.

"You're pregnant."

Aelita stared at her for a minute and then shook her head, "No. That's not possible. The doctors said I could never get pregnant. I've never even gotten my period. Ever. My--"

Raven held up a hand for silence, "Doctors can be wrong, Aelita. And they were. When I let my power flow through you, I felt the baby. I don't know the gender, but it's developed enough to portray some emotions somehow. I believe that's where they were coming from. You just didn't expect them to be coming from inside you."

Aelita jumped up, "What?! So-so I'm really pregnant?? I'm going to have a –baby-?"

Raven nodded, smiled and rose to hug her friend. "Congratulations." She whispered, "Perhaps you should go inform the father?"

Aelita's eyes grew wide, "I wonder if he'll be happy about this or not. I hope so. I sure am. I love kids!"

"Are you ready to be a mother though?" Raven asked cautiously.

"Yes. This is a dream come true, Raven!" Aelita squealed and led the way back with a skip.

When she told Kadaj the news, he was silent for a long time. Yazoo was pleased, and he waited anxiously along with his lover and Aelita to see what his brother's reaction would be. Eventually he spoke, "But I thought you said it was impossible for you to get pregnant." He made it a statement, not a question. Aelita squirmed a bit under his intense gaze.

"I guess the doctors were wrong." She laughed nervously.

After a few more moments of silence, the younger man nodded slowly, "That's great, Aelita. I'll stay here with you then, when Raven goes to confront Sephiroth."

"What?" Aelita gaped, "No. I'm going with you, Raven, and Yazoo. We're all going together."

"No." Kadaj said sternly. "I will not have you endangering yourself and your child. Our child. And I am going to stay here and make sure nothing happens."

"That's fine." Raven spoke up. "Yazoo should--"

"Not a chance." The older man interjected before she could finish. Raven pouted a bit.

"But--" Aelita started, but was cut off by Raven.

"It's fine, really. Kadaj is right." She smiled. 'Though it's also probably because he doesn't want to help us.' She thought. That didn't matter though. Raven wanted the baby safe. She turned to Yazoo. "You ready?" He nodded, and with a few hugs and goodbyes to Kadaj (who grumbled when Raven and Yazoo hugged him) and Aelita, they left.

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They rode separately; Raven following Yazoo, since he remembered the way back to Sephiroth's 'lair'. It took about an hour and a half to get to the strange building set in the mountain. Just before it came into view, they halted and dismounted. Raven led the way this time, letting her power wash out over the area so nobody could surprise them. Several times she sensed cameras or alarms that she disabled from a distance. The first time she did that, it took a while. She had never really done that, so it was new to her, though a good trick to learn. When they reached the place where Yazoo had sees Sephiroth throw his dead brother from the balcony, he stopped and shivered. Raven knew what had happened, so she didn't comment.

"Are you ready for this?" she breathed, studying him and loving the leather outfit he wore. He nodded and smiled at her.

"Aelita did a great job picking that out for you." He whispered and scooted closer to her. He leaned his head against her shoulder wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. Raven hugged him back and chuckled. The outfit was…something else, that much she'd admit. Tight, black leather pants clung to her legs and were tucked into knee-high boots. Ovals were cut out of the leg along the side of the pants, showing her pale thighs up to her hips. The top was a halter, cut low in the back. Another oval was cut out at the navel and a larger one at her chest was cut out, showing a bit of breast. Leather gloves with most of the fingers cut off covered her hands and fore-arms.

"Well, it won't protect me too well." She laughed again, "but I guess she assumed I wouldn't need that for protection, what with my powers and all."

"Mmhm." Yazoo nodded and nuzzled against her. He lifted his head and kissed her, then indicated that she should lead the way. Raven knew he did that not out of cowardice, but because that's what she wanted. She slipped out of the bushes and walked with her head held high towards the building, Yazoo right behind her, in plain view. She didn't shut down any cameras or alarms. She –wanted- dear old Sephiroth to know she was here. When she reached the center of the clearing, she halted, sensing someone approaching the upper balcony. Moments later, the devil himself stepped into view.

"Raven, my dear! You have returned…" Sephiroth called down in his creamy voice. Raven fought back the urge to shudder. "But look at this!" He continued, "You were able to remove your restraints! I'm proud of you, though it will do you no good. And I'm sorry that you brought his lovely man along, for you will have to watch him die as well."

Raven said nothing, though she heard Yazoo shift slightly behind her. She just glared up at him and waited for what she knew he would do. As if on cue, Sephiroth raised his left hand and it began to glow a bright greenish-blue. He laughed, "I am more powerful now, Raven. You cannot escape!" With that he threw the mass of power at her.

Right before the power would crash into them, an almost solid black wall shot up between Raven and Yazoo, and the approaching attack. The glowing mass slammed into Raven's barrier and was immediately swallowed up. Proud of herself, the violet-haired woman smiled a bit; she didn't even move. That was a first, since usually she had to throw up a hand in order to create a barrier. At the some-what shocked look on Sephiroth's face, Raven bit back a laugh. She dropped the protective wall and stared up at the older man. He squirmed under her intense gaze, scowled, turned on his heel and marched back into his base. With a sigh, Raven walked forward and placed a hand on the reinforced door leading into the building. With a thought, she broke the hinges and locks and pushed it forward, stepping over it casually, and made her way into the dim hallway with Yazoo trailing behind.

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"You think he'd have more…cronies…or something." Yazoo commented softly as they trekked through the deserted halls.

Raven chuckled softly at his use of words. "There probably will be…somewhere. But they won't be a problem for us." She continued down the halls, letting her power seep out in a 100ft radius from her. A few moments later, she felt several people up ahead and around a few turns. She pressed her back against the wall, indicating Yazoo to do the same, and silently approached the men. That's what they were. Somehow Raven knew they were men. She didn't know how she knew, she just did. 'It seems my powers are continuing to advance…' she thought with a grim smile. When she reached a sharp turn in the corridor, she halted. Using signs, she told Yazoo to basically follow her lead. With a deep breath she whirled around the corner.

Four men blocked their path, forming almost a row across the hallway, even though it wasn't wide enough for them to stand abreast. Instead, they stood two next to each other, one with his right shoulder against the wall and the other to his left with some space between them, and two behind them, one with his left shoulder against the wall and the other to his right. This way they blocked the hall completely and were able to aim their guns at Raven and Yazoo without shooting each other in the head.

"Goody." Raven said softly with a smile. Yazoo moved up beside her and placed a hand on Velvet Revolver. For a few breathes, six pairs of eyes studied their opponents and an almost sickening silence fell over them. Raven heard a quiet click from one of the men's guns and was about to throw up a barrier when Yazoo whipped out Velvet Revolver and fired. One of the men in the back collapsed, the wound in his forehead bleeding profusely. The other three men jumped and immediately began to fire. Their bullets bounced uselessly against the black shield that Raven had formed with a simple thought. Slowly, she walked towards them, the barrier moving with them. The three remaining men edged backwards, one stumbling over the body of their fallen comrade. Raven laughed and concentrated. The guns ripped from their hands and crumpled before their eyes. The violet-haired woman sent out tendrils of her power when the men turned and run, catching their ankles with it and slamming them against the metal walls. With a small bit of concentration, Raven bent the metal away from the wall to trap them suspended above the floor. Quickly, she signaled Yazoo to follow her lead yet again and tore up the cloth of the dead man's uniform and gagged the three remaining so-called guards. With a sly grin, she saluted them, turned on her heel, and continued down the hall, only glancing over her shoulder to be sure that Yazoo was behind her and following.

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Ten minutes later Raven placed a hand against the large door at the end of the hall. Yazoo touched her arm gently when the silence stretched almost awkwardly between them. "He's in there…" she whispered.

"Are you…alright with this?" the silver-haired man whispered back, his lips brushing against her ear as he slipped his right arm around her waist, leaving his shooting hand free. Raven closed her eyes and leaned into his embrace.

"Yes. It just seems…unreal. I'm so enraged I'm…calm." She opened her eyes and pulled away from him. "Alright, then. Let's get this over with. And Yazoo…"

"Yes?"

"If I say duck or run, please do it." With a glance back at him she met his eyes and gave him a level look, making sure he knew how serious she was. After several heartbeats, Yazoo blinked first and looked down with a nod. A tightness in Raven's shoulders and stomach that she hadn't known was there. "Good." She sighed, and opened the door.

The large room seemed to be a conference or dinning room. Dark soft carpeting covered the floor, though the walls were bare. A large mahogany table that looked out of place among all the silver and metal occupied the center of the room, with seven leather chairs on each side and one on each end. The table and chairs were the only furniture in the entire room, and Sephiroth sat at the far end at the head of the table, his elbows propped on the smooth surfaced with hands laced beneath his chin. His waist-long silver hair spilled forward around his face and bodies, forming a curtain around most of his face.

"Welcome back. Raven." He said softly, sending cold chills down the violet-eyed woman's spine when he spoke her name in his rich voice. She felt Yazoo stiffen beside her when the older man addressed her.

"I'm going to be honest, -Sephiroth-." Raven said heatedly. "I'm here to kill you."

"No…my dear." He said with a chuckle and stood. He trailed his fingers over designs in the wood that they couldn't see, studying what he did intently. "You are here to –try- to kill me."

Raven pretended to think about it and then shook her head, "No. No I'm pretty sure I'm here to kill you."

Sephiroth laughed loudly, once again sending chills from head to toe of the young woman. Yazoo placed a supportive hand on her shoulder when the other man unsheathed his long katana-like sword. Raven reached up and squeezed her lover's hand in response before stepping away from him, letting her power spill out of her in small waves. She was hoping to frighten the older man a bit. It didn't seem to be working too well. In fact, he seemed more impressed than frightened.

"Oh, my dear, beautiful Raven. You have grown stronger. Now our children will definitely be unstoppable." That comment earned a harsh laugh from the violet-haired woman.

"I will never carry your children, ass-hole." She said through the laugh.

"Tsk, tsk, Raven. Such language." He murmured when he stopped just a few feet away from her. Raven didn't move out of his range, just glared at him. "But don't be afraid, love. I won't kill you. Just hurt you for punishment and then make you watch me kill your lover."

"Doubt it." She replied through clenched teeth. Sephiroth laughed and without warning spun around, slashing his sword at the young woman. With just a thought, Raven put up a barrier and easily halted his attack. While Sephiroth blinked for a few seconds in surprise, she let her power seep out and coat her forearms and hands. She kept it there, boiling around her arms, and dropped her shield. She threw out her arm, firing her power at him. He spun away, avoiding her attack, eyes growing wide when the black disc embedded itself five feet into the wall that had been behind him. She felt, more than heard Yazoo draw Velvet Revolver and get into position. He began to fire at the older man, who deflected the bullets with inhuman speed and agility. While he was distracted with that, Raven used her power to pick up a chair and throw it at him. It slammed into Sephiroth and knocked him backwards over the table. He knew how to land, however, and rolled as he hit the floor, coming to his feet in a defensive position. Raven threw her hands out with a scowl and sent the large table flying towards Sephiroth. The table crashed into him, sending him slamming into the wall with an 'omph'. Yazoo continued to fire upon him, his bullets slicing through the older man's shoulder temporarily while he couldn't defend himself. With a loud roar Sephiroth flung his free hand at Yazoo, blinding green orbs flying from his extended fingers1.

"No!" Raven screamed and changed her position. She tried to throw out a defense in front of Yazoo, flinging her power towards him, but she wasn't fast enough. At the last second, Yazoo turned, taking the mystical attack on his right side. It knocked him back into the wall by the door with a sickening thud, where she slid, unmoving, to the floor. For a heartbeat all Raven could do was stare in disbelief and horror. A flicker of movement to her left snapped her sickening thoughts back to reality and she remembered what had to be done.

Instinctively, she raised her left arm, keeping her forearm parallel to the ground. Sephiroth's sword came down in one graceful swoop and halted when it hit her arm.

"Wha…?" Sephiroth blinked in confusion and seemed to study the blackness that swarmed over Raven's arm. The young woman watched him carefully, wanting to see what he did next. Her rage that had spread through her blood like ice when she first saw him began to boil. Letting her anger show in her violet eyes, Raven braced herself and twisted her arm around to grab the blade of the silver-haired man's sword. She had thought Sephiroth couldn't look more confused or surprised. She was wrong.

"How are you doing that?" he asked softly, trying to tug the weapon out of her hand.

"None of your business, ass-hole." Raven growled and placed her right hand against his chest. Without hesitation, the young woman concentrated and Sephiroth flew back from her, slamming so hard into the wall almost thirty feet away so hard that his body left a dent. When she had pushed him back, her power had gripped onto the sword, ripping it out of his grasp. She let her dark power cover the long blade and with a thought, shattered it into hundreds of pieces. Sephiroth stared at her, a look of utter terror haunting his eyes.

She walked towards him slowly, unaware of the fact that her eyes slowly bled to black as her power took over. The chairs trembled as she walked by them, some flying away from her, almost as if they fled in fear.

Raven stopped barely six inches from the cowering man, "You aren't supposed to be this strong." He hissed in frustration.

Raven knelt down before him and leaned forward until their noses were centimeters apart. She smiled evilly and whispered, "Oh well. I guess that means you fail." And then she let go, just as she did years ago, but this time she was ready for it. She rode the dark, writhing power that leapt from her body and directed at Sephiroth. It enveloped him and she lifted him up into the air, throwing him into the far corner, as far from Yazoo's still body as possible. Her power pinned Sephiroth to the floor and with but a thought, her power crept over the walls and ceiling around him. She felt no remorse with what she was about to do. In fact, she felt almost relieved. She smiled and pulled half of the building down around and on top of Sephiroth as he squirmed uselessly against her will. She withdrew her power from him and everything else and took a few steps back, exhausted.

Raven watched in satisfaction as the debris settled and reached out with her power once all was still. She couldn't feel him. 'Good.' She thought, 'He's only good dead.'

"R-raven?" Yazoo called weakly. She gasped and turned on her heal, sprinting to his side. She cradled his head in his lap and studied his wound. His right shoulder and arm was torn up, only so much meat. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was very weak from her previous attack, but she was determined. Digging down into her core, Raven found her power, almost dormant. She tugged at it and brought it to the surface and slowly began to heal Yazoo.

Ten minutes later she collapsed over him, gasping for breath and fighting off the vertigo that threatened to make her sick. Yazoo helped her sit up and hugged her to his chest, murmuring her name. Seconds later, they both jumped when the rubble the violet-haired woman had created began to shift. Raven struggled to get to her feet, only achieving her goal with the help of the newly restored arms of Yazoo. They watched cautiously as, somehow, Sephiroth dragged himself from the debris.

Raven gaped in amazement, and a bit of fear, as the older man stumbled up-right and glared at them. As they watched, his body began to fade and flicker to a blue-ish pink.

"You…have not won, my dear Raven." He choked out. "I will return…" he gasped and collapsed on what remained of the floor as his body dissolved into thousands of teal orbs and streamed up and out of the hole in the roof.

"Oh…God…" Raven whispered as a cold fear washed over her. Yazoo hugged her to him and kissed her hair,

"Don't worry, love. You killed him. He went back to the Lifestream, we both saw it. We're safe." Raven nodded and turned into his embrace, willing herself to believe him.

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_A/N: Sorry this took so long! I've been suffering from writer's block. XD_

_Kitsune_

[1 Okay, I so don't think Sephy did this in any of the movies or games, but by God he can do it in this. Heh. Hope you don't have a problem with that.


	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Aelita and Kadaj were married a few months prior to the birth of their son, Haruto. They continue to live in the forest of Kadaj and Yazoo's birth, though they plan on enrolling Haruto in the school in Edge.

Cloud and Tifa married a year after Aelita and Kadaj, and have yet to have a child. Tifa works only part time at her bar, 7th Heaven, and is looking for a job at the local high school. Cloud now works full time at the bar he owns with Tifa and is looking forward to having children.

Reno and Yuffie broke up, but continue to be close friends. Two years after Raven defeated Sephiroth, Yuffie went off to travel and explore. Reno works on and off at 7th Heaven, frequently taking off to go on expeditions.

Vincent has yet to be seen, his disappearance worries Raven, who still cares for him in a sisterly way, and pleases Yazoo, who continues to loathe the misunderstood vampire.

Raven and Yazoo married a few short weeks after the final battle. Four years later, Raven gave birth to twins; Jayden, named for her eyes, and Loz, named for his deceased uncle. Raven went back to work at The Angel's Wings after she and Yazoo married and over the years saved up enough to buy it. Yazoo helps out sometimes, but mostly stays home or explores.

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_A/N: I'm so glad that I'm finished! I enjoyed writing this fanfic, but I am _so_ ready to move on. I am going to write a sequel to this, so I hope you'll R&R to that, as well as this! 3_

_Kitsune_


End file.
